


Playing Dangerous

by BlackBlueSilver



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Dark Harry, F/F, F/M, Female Harry Potter, Femme Fatale, Handsome Tom Riddle, Kali uses sex as a tool even at a young age, Lots of underage everything, Model Harry, Moral Ambiguity, Past Child Abuse, There's a whole host of characters I'm too lazy to mention sorry about that, Violence, beautiful harry potter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-30
Updated: 2017-05-14
Packaged: 2018-04-06 22:53:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 15
Words: 48,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4239741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackBlueSilver/pseuds/BlackBlueSilver
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if Harry had been born Kali Potter? What if Kali had been beautiful? What if Kali learned how to use that beauty as a weapon at a very young age? What if her work as a child model meant that Kali was already used to some fame? The Wizarding World gains a powerful young femme fatale in the making who won't allow herself to be used as a sacrificial lamb.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

6 year Kali Potter was absolutely miserable.  Her awful relatives had left her with Ms. Figg _once again_ as they took a week-long vacation with Dudley to some far off exotic place they wouldn’t even allow Kali to dream about. 

They were no words on earth that could describe the level of hatred and resentment Kali nursed in her heart for those people. She had searched for, begged for, pleaded for, desired so intensely that it _burned_ , the love given up so freely to Dudley. That stupid boy didn’t even appreciate what he had. Around a year ago, she had given up on earning their love. She would never be good enough for them. She would always be a freak. It was then that the first seeds of hatred had been planted.

Just thinking about them made her just about gag on the stale and slightly questionable slice of chocolate cake Ms. Figg had allowed her to have. Even with all the smelly, cranky kitties around the home, the brief periods she spent here were the high points of her life since coming to live with the Dursleys. And wasn’t that just the saddest thing?

One of her favorite perks about staying over was the telly privileges. She could watch whatever she wanted to while Ms. Figg was otherwise occupied. At this present moment, the child was flipping through channels, fascinated with the blur of colors that was being produced. She had no idea that she was on the verge of a life-changing decision. 

Watching the telly was such a novelty that she didn’t care just what she watched. She abruptly stopped on a channel and decided that was what she was going to watch. This picture was strange, colorless and black and white instead.

 An announcer called out, “… back to our femme fatale marathon, showing films that depict murderous seductress with no remorse and all the power. Now, we continue with 1946 noir film The Postman Always Rings Twice.” 

Kali was instantly intrigued. It wasn’t often that women were in a position of power. To hear her Uncle Vernon tell it, it wasn't their duty to have so either. She curled up on the sofa and spent the rest of the afternoon watching black and white films in which women used charm and their feminine wiles in addition to murder and manipulation to come out on top in the end.

The entire idea of having that much control over others (and thus control over the direction of her own life) was alluring. She wanted that power over people that these women exhibited. If she had that, the Dursley’s couldn’t hurt her anymore. No more cupboard, no more withholding food, no more chores. Everything would be perfect.

At that moment, Kali made a vow that would change everything. She needed that power and she would have it. She needed to be just like these women. So she would study them and their mannerisms, using them to her own benefit. No one would ever hurt her again. This time, **_she_** would be in control. 

She spent the rest of that week obsessively watching films that depicted deadly women, studying and practicing their mannerisms. The slow, almost innocent bodily contact that ended up an addiction for their unlucky victims, the methods they used to draw attention to them in a way that captivated everyone around them, their naturally intense personalities, and the sly and manipulative way they twisted situations to cast them in the best light in every possible scenario.

She had a rather good memory, a trait forcibly developed from her time with the Dursley’s. She imprinted these techniques into her mind and repeated them over and over again.

When the day came for the Dursley’s to collect her, a nasty smirk sat on her face every second eyes were not on her. She couldn’t wait to see her pathetic relatives. They wouldn’t know what hit them. She would quietly bide her time until the opportunity for revenge was revealed to her and then completely destroy them.  

**_*****Femme Fatale*****_ **

There was something different about the freak. Her movements were smoother, more confident, and something dark lurked within those eyes. Petunia had been watching her very carefully these past few weeks and was careful to smack her when she did something off. She had to be cautious though. School would start in a couple days and they couldn’t afford to leave any bruises. People would react harshly to a girl child being hurt in such a respectable neighborhood, especially one that looked like the freak.

A wave of jealousy flowed over Petunia. The freak had inherited the same beauty that Lily had possessed, enhanced by her father’s dark hair. At 7, she was already prettier than the older woman had ever been. The painfully thin woman resisted the urge to mark up the girl, to mar that beauty. She had to restrain herself.

 Compulsory art classes started again for all students when school began and the girl’s teacher had signed her up for dance claiming signs of a prodigious talent. Apparently, the freak used her freakish way to excel during the ballet course girls her age were required to take up to this point.

 The teacher said it was _amazing_ that the child could stand on pointe for even as long as 10 seconds after 2 years of training. Petunia said it was _unnatural._ However, in the revealing tights required to dance, no suspicious bruises could be shown without risking the perfectly wonderful and _perfectly normal_ life the Dursley’s had built here.

As if she could feel eyes on her, the girl looked up with those unnatural eyes and stared. For some reason, Petunia shivered. There was nothing good for her hidden behind those green eyes.

Oh if only she knew. Her perfectly “respectable” way of life was about to be severely disrupted.

**_*****Femme Fatale*****_ **

Sarah Langdon was sick and tired of seeing the same thing over and over again. She was on a quest to discover someone with that extra spark about them, which could serve as her inspiration out of this slump she was currently experiencing. She was beginning to become very desperate. She prowled around her office, racking her brains for anything that could serve as inspiration.

Her office was spacious, and tastefully decorated, perfect for the head of one of the top child modeling agencies in all of Europe. This meant she was used to seeing beautiful children, but lately none of her new clients had that special star quality that her agency was known for finding.

They were all so **_ordinary._** All of their mannerisms were the same, their special “pouty faces” (that everyone was under the impression was the best modeling pose) were all very similar, and they were all just so bland. Not one of them stood out.

A loud alarm brought Sarah out of her musing and set her to cursing her forgetfulness. She was supposed to pick up her niece from school today to take her to a doctor’s appointment and then spend the weekend together but if she didn’t leave in the next 2 minutes she would be so very late.

The same problem occupied Sarah’s attention all throughout her journey to Surrey Prepatory. Her attention was only diverted when she finally beat the traffic and arrived at her appointed time.

She suppressed a grimace as she walked into the school and informed the front office of her purpose. The school and the entire area gave her the creeps. The Stepford Wife style of living that prevailed in this area was weird and just not at all to her liking; it made her deeply uncomfortable. She had no idea why her brother and his family decided that this area would be a good place to raise a family.

The secretary jolted her out of her thoughts again. “Lily is currently in ballet right now. Would you like me to send someone for her?”

Sarah replied negatively. “No, that’s quite alright. I’ll get her myself. What room is it again?”

“Room 2005.” Sarah nodded in thanks and made her way down the hall. She put all work related worries out of her mind for now. She looked forward to spending some time with her favorite, and only, niece.

She found the room relatively easy and took a quick peek into the dance room. The children were practicing the newest technique in their curriculum. A grand jete’ based on what the instructor was calling out.

Precious little girls in frilly pink tutus lines up, giving their best attempts at the technique. Sarah couldn’t help but smile. It was so cute. Her smile widened in pride when she saw her little blonde angel had one of the best attempts yet.

However, her smile dropped when one of the loveliest little girls she had ever seen appeared. She had long, thick and curly hair dark hair that was currently trapped in a thick braid that swung behind the almost unnaturally slight child. Intense green eyes shaded by thick almost too long eyelashes, a similar shade she had seen only a few times before but never containing this level of expressivity, stared out of a fine boned face. Full lips, drawn into a natural pout, pursed slightly together in concentration.

Taking delicate steps, she leaped into an almost perfect grand jete. It was the closest to the instructor’s demonstration that anyone had seen yet.  

Even when the girl had landed, finished listening to her critique and gone back to her place in line, Sarah could not take her eyes away. The girl was gorgeous yes but Sarah had seen children even more beautiful, and so very graceful but Sarah had seen children that had even more grace than she. It was the force of her presence, that unconscious undeniable magnetism that insured she was the center of attention in every room she entered whether she wanted to be or not, that had drawn Sarah’s attention. There it was, that extra spark she had been searching for.

This little girl was going to be hers.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...In which Kali gains a friend

Sarah watched for a few more moments before she entered the room herself. The teacher stopped talking once she noticed the intrusion. A French accent flavored her words.

“Yes, can I help you?”

Sarah hid a smile as she noticed Lily quivering with excitement behind the woman’s back.

“Yes, I’m here to pick up Lily Langdon.” The woman tutted.

“Oh yes, she mentioned something about that.”

Glancing at the clock, she sighed, “Well, it’s no use teaching anymore so close to break. You may change girls.”

19 girls immediately began chattering, giggling, and crowding around Lily as they went to the dressing room. A faint smirk decorated Sarah’s face. Nice to know Lily was so popular already. She knew those lessons on the values of connections would stick.

Her attention was drawn once more to the dark haired girl who had yet to make a move in the direction of the dressing room and was instead practicing exercises on the barre. Sarah walked over and decided to get a feel for the little girl’s personality.

She didn’t seem very sociable, isolated in fact, so maybe she was really shy. Shy personalities, despite outward appearances, did not survive long in the modeling world. They were quickly eaten alive. The girl turned at her approach and revealed herself to be even lovelier up close, if a little frail.

She seemed to be trying to repress a confused look, and flinched slightly at her approach before standing tall. It looked like she was unused to attention from adults, the positive kind at least. She stood like she was awaiting punishment but wanted to remain defiant in the face of it.

Resisting the urge to frown at the child’s behavior, Sarah pasted on a friendly smile, one guaranteed to put children at ease. “Hello, what’s your name?” Emerald green eyes pinned her in place and seemed for a second to be looking into her soul. The moment was broken when the girl blinked, too long lashes brushing hollowed cheeks. Her stance softened and relaxed when it became apparent she was not being accused of anything. 

“My name is Kali Potter.” The girl’s voice was unusually husky for a child and distinct. It wasn’t that abnormal though. One of Sarah’s best friends had suffered from baby colic as a newborn and had gained a pretty husky voice as a result. She could, however, tell that this girl would be a heartbreaker when she was older.

“I’m Sarah Langdon, Lily’s aunt. I noticed that you didn’t go to get dressed with everyone else.”

A slightly distraught look twisted the girls face and she glanced away. “It’s safer and a lot more rewarding for me if I stay here with all due respect ma’am.”

Lowering her head slightly, thick curly locks free from their binding shifting slightly, Kali peeked through her lashes and gave a sad smile. “No one likes me very much, and I’d prefer if I was out of everyone’s way. It’s best for everyone if I stay out of sight. Besides, I get more time to practice.”

Her smile turned wistful and she started to sway a little unconsciously. “I love dancing but my relatives don’t really approve so I’m not allowed to dance at home.”

Sarah didn’t know what to say. Kali reminded her of herself in grade school. That lonely girl no one else wanted to play with so she withdrew into herself. Sarah became popular later in life when her best friend dragged her out of her shell, but she never forgot the loneliness of her early years.

She felt a kind of kinship with the beautiful young girl. She wanted to be the friendly presence to this girl that she had wished for as a child.

“What if I offered you a way to meet new friends from all over?”

The little girl lifted her head and Sarah peered into glittery emerald eyes. She looked as if she would cry tears of joy at the mere suggestion. Sarah got an immense satisfaction out of the fact that she was the reason that face appeared.

“Could you? Could you really?”

The big teary green eyes were more than she could handle. She would have agreed to anything at that moment. It was too much adorable for her to handle.

“I’m the head of a modeling agency with lots of kids like you, beautiful but lonely. I’m more than sure you could make lots of friends while making lots of money.”

Sarah panicked when the girls face completely crumpled and she turned her head away. “The Dursley’s would never let me. They don’t like me being happy. They wouldn’t let me model if my cousin Dudley couldn’t either. Dudley would just chase away any friends I made. No one likes to go against Dudley and his gang.” She sounded bitter and Sarah honestly couldn’t blame her.

The adult blonde narrowed her eyes. She didn’t like the sound of these people. She also noticed that no parents were referenced at any point so they were obviously out of the picture. Either her parents were unable to care for her or she was an orphan.

“We’ll see about that.” The sound of her niece calling her name disrupted the conversation. It looked like it was time to go. Sarah smiled.

“I’ll be back next week and we can go over the details with your…guardians. I promise, it will all work out.” Kali gave a small thankful but disbelieving smile that both raised Sarah’s spirits and strengthened her determination to not let his little girl down.  

Lily approached the pair from Sarah’s left. “Aunt Sarah, I’m ready.” A note of obvious contempt entered her voice. “Why are you talking to Potter? What are you talking about?”

Sarah shushed the girl quickly, noticing the downcast face of the sweet tempered girl in front of her. “I promised okay? I don’t break promises.”

Kali gave a heartbreaking nod, a downtrodden look in her eyes that said she had heard it all before a million times or more and been let down just as many, but she really wanted to believe it this one last time.

“I have to go now, but it was very nice meeting you.” Kali regally inclined her head in agreement, she seemed mute in the face of Lily’s arrival.   

“Nice meeting you too” She quietly replied after a moment. 

As Sarah walked away, her thoughts were centered on the captivating young girl she just met yet had already established such a connection with. Absently fielding off Lily’s persistent questions, she never noticed the shadowed smirk hidden by a waterfall of black curls.

**_*****Femme Fatale******_ **

Kali waited until she was alone in the dance room after her private lesson with Madam Revue to let the smug smile she was holding back cross her face. Ms. Langdon was an opportunity she was not expecting so soon.

Modeling could solve all her problems. It provided a source of income and gave her some exposure. If more eyes were on her, the less the Dursley’s could hurt her without damaging their _precious_ reputations. Social standing was the number one love in their life, even above Dudley.

Everyone knew Langdon’s aunt was in a position of power in the modeling industry. She bragged about it often. However, Kali never expected to be approached by her. She never thought she was attractive enough. Her body stilled as a thought occurred to her.

No, that was Aunt Petunia talking. She always degraded the girl’s appearance but Sarah Langdon had proved that incorrect. Sarah obviously thought she was lovely. Kali didn’t really see it but she could definitely use the belief to her advantage. Everyone catered to beautiful people.  

She saw it when she clumsily manipulated Ms. Langdon. Kali honestly though her attempt was sloppy, a bit heavy handed, and she kind of went overboard when she added the teary eyes to her eager questions so quickly in the encounter but Sarah didn’t seem to notice anything.

Kali could also see that she felt a kind of kinship to the image of a beautiful, vulnerable, and lonely girl so Kali gave her what she asked for. It became quickly apparent that Sarah was wrapped around the girl’s finger during the whole encounter. It was obvious that she wished to be the girl’s savior. As if Kali was some damsel in distress.  

In truth, Sarah just seemed to be an easy target. From what she had learned from the films she’d watched, she needed to be as close to the truth as possible when manipulating a situation. Lie without really lying. Subtlety was really the key. She needed to get a lot better at manipulating if she wanted to do anything significant with it. Practice, and lots of it, would be needed.

The sound of a door opening startled Kali out of her thoughts. She quietly cursed. She knew better than to let her guard down anywhere. 

Turning around, she faced Madam Revue with a neutral face. “Yes Madam?”

Smiling at her polite and dedicated young pupil,  the woman said, “Break ends in 10 minutes. You may want to get dressed now.” 

Murmuring a quiet thank you, the girl walked to the dressing room. She sneered uncomfortably at the rags the Dursley’s forced her to wear. She was counting down the days until she would be free of them and this dreadful neighborhood both.

 She was better than **_this_**. She was better than **_all of them_** _._

She wouldn’t fall into this mediocre trap of normalcy her relatives subscribed to.

She would rise above it all, leaving them to choke on the dust, and become someone **great.**

She cast one last disdainful glance at the mirror after slipping on the thick glasses the school nurse had pressured Aunt Petunia into getting once she noticed Kali’s deteriorating vision. Regardless of her so called beauty, this scruffy appearance was simply unacceptable. No one could take her seriously like this.  

One day, all her dreams would come true and the Dursley’s would pay for everything they had ever done to her but for now, she would sit and wait in the shadows, until she could execute her plans.

**_*****Femme Fatale*****_ **

A bushy haired brunette was rushing through the halls of Surrey Preparatory, a thick book contained in her arms. Those awful girls had almost made her late. She hated it here. Everyone either hated her or ignored her altogether. She still wasn’t quite sure which hurt more.

When Hermione Granger came to Surrey Prep, she had hoped that she would meet some friends outside of her books at last. That didn’t seem to be the case. She didn’t know why those girls had decided to lock her in the stall when she was in the bathroom. She hadn’t done anything to them. Why were they picking on her?

She was so upset by her thoughts that she didn’t watch where she was going and crashed into another something. That something turned out to be a girl her age.

Her clothes were ill fitted and large spectacles covered her face but she was still noticeably very pretty. It was Kali Potter. They shared the same class but Hermione hadn’t worked up the courage to approach the aloof girl. She was alone but she was never invisible. Even if no one talked to her except to taunt her about something or another (which she gave witty responses to if she replied at all), they all watched her constantly.

She was always the topic of conversation. The boys thought she was pretty but were too afraid of being beaten up by her neanderthal of a cousin to be her friend. The girls thought the same, with an added dose of jealousy. The girl herself didn’t seem to care one way or another. She seemed perfectly content to be by herself.

Hermione watched Kali gracefully pull herself off the floor and hold a hand out to the brunette. Shaking herself out of the stupor she had fallen into, she grabbed the hand of the surprisingly strong raven haired beauty.

She was startled to see a warm smile cross the other girls face. It wasn’t an expression she had seen at any point this week. “Are you okay?”

 Hermione felt her cheeks warm up and she became flustered. “Oh no, I’m sorry. So sorry. I’ve made us both so late, this is so awful.” She reached down to pick up her book and blushed even harder when she heard the other girl chuckling. This was so embarrassing.

“It’s okay, Hermione. No need to blush. It was my fault. I wasn’t watching where I was going."

Hermione’s eyes widened. She wasn’t expecting her to say her name. The girl hadn’t seemed to know that she existed. “You know my name?”

The other girls smiled widened in amusement as she lifted an eyebrow. “Of course. We are in the same class. Besides, I wouldn’t forget anyone as interesting as you are.”

Hermione noticed Kali still had a warm smile on her face. Maybe this girl didn’t hate her. Recalling her earlier thoughts, she decided to grab the bull the horns as the saying went.

Taking a deep breathe, the brunette blurted out “ Wouldyouliketobemyfriend?”

They stared at each other in silence for a second, a second that felt like eternity to the increasingly red-faced girl.

“What?”

Deciding that she had had enough embarrassing moments to last a lifetime, the girl turned and quickly walked down the hallway.

She heard laughter behind her and was going to pick up her pace, thinking that Kali was mocking her, but she was stopped by a pale hand that she let spin her around.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to laugh. I wasn’t turning down your request if that was what it was. I honestly didn’t even understand what you said.”

Hermione took a deep breath and repeated her question, a lot slower this time. “Would you like to be my friend?”

Kali nodded, eyes crinkling in amusement. “Sure.”

The touching birth of a new friendship was interrupted by the sound of a bell. Students came pouring into the hall on their journey to their afternoon classes.

“So new friend, would you like to walk with me to class? “

Smiling at her very first friend, Hermione firmly nodded her head, unaware that her impulsive decision would later rock the foundations of her world.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...In which Vernon goes too far

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Scenes that include blatant child abuse, pedophilic thoughts, and hinted future sexual abuse/exploitation of a minor

Sarah waited until they were safely on their way before bringing up the dark haired girl to her niece.

“Hey Lily, who was that girl I was talking to?”

The younger blonde stopped chattering about her day and frowned at the woman she was almost identical to.

“Kali Potter.” The disgust in her voice was palpable and caused Sarah to furrow her eyebrows. “She’s such a loser. Why were you even talking to her?” The young girl demanded. 

“She’s a nice girl don’t you think? And really very pretty.”

Lily sighed dramatically. “She doesn’t talk to anyone! She doesn’t even make any attempts to make friends with anyone, or the girls at least. Dudley would beat up any of the boys that tried to be her friend.”

The girls sounded dismissive of the rather alarming fact.

 “But that freak doesn’t even try to talk to the rest of us so we just ignore her. Don’t even get me started on her clothes. They’re all worn and baggy, and those glasses are hideous. She doesn’t have an ounce of a fashion sense. It’s disgusting. An honest shame. She’s so pretty. She’s the only girl in my grade level prettier than I am and she doesn’t even care.”

There was a clear note of envy in her voice.

The eyebrow that had drifted up Sarah’s face at the start of Lily’s rant was at its limit. That was a lot of information and several of the details in the girl’s diatribe set off warning sirens in Sarah’s mind.

Kali had mentioned that Dudley would beat up anyone who would be her friend, a fact now confirmed by her niece. Why would he do something like that? Why would anyone allow such behavior? Surely one adult must have noticed. She had also mentioned that the Dursley’s, her relatives, wouldn’t want her to be happy.

 A very unpleasant picture was beginning to be painted in Sarah’s head.

What reason would explain the girl wear baggy worn clothing? Only middle class and lower upper class families occupied the neighborhoods surrounding the school. Any of them would be more than able to supply a child with adequate attire. Something wasn’t right in Surrey, and since it was directly affecting Sarah’s new star, she was going to get to the bottom of it.

 Confusion was laid bare on Lily’s face, and something of Sarah’s thoughts must have shown on her face as Lily asked, “What’s wrong Aunt Sarah? Why are you asking about her?”

Pasting a sunny smile on her face, Sarah brushed the girl’s questions off. “Never you mind dear. How about we go get some ice cream after you get these icky shots.”

Lily grimaced, concerns instantly forgotten. “Ugh, I hate shots.”

**_*****Femme Fatale*****_ **

Vernon was in a foul mood when he made his way home Friday night. He had been passed over for a promotion he was sure he was going to get. He had been bragging about it to his family all week and now he would have to reveal the truth. He was enraged and he knew just who to take that anger out on.

This time, Petunia wasn’t there to stop him from going “too far”. As if anything but extreme measures would be needed to erase that unnatural blight from their perfect lives. With Dudley sleeping at Pier’s for the night, he knew he could do whatever he wanted with no witnesses. That was just the way he liked it.

His footsteps were heavy when he walked into his home, a clear sign of danger to those in the household. A malicious glint shined in his piggish eyes when he caught sight of his prey. He knew by the freak’s trembling body that she knew what was coming, yet she continued scrubbing the floor as was her given chore.

Good, it was nice to know that he had her trained so well.

He skimmed her body, a leer on his lips. Despite how much of a freak she was, she would be a looker in a few years. Maybe then he would see that training put to a different use. He knew many blokes who would pay good money to spend some time with her even now. He would need to break her in a bit first though. Petunia never had to know. 

He shook his head to dislodge the thought. That was far off in the future. For now, she was only good enough to be his punching bag. It was probably her fault anyway. No doubt she had used her unnatural powers to befuddle Mr. Langdon. There was no other way a man of his skill level and experience would have been passed over for the position otherwise.

Yes, that was the only explanation. The girl deserved everything she was going to get and he was going to enjoy giving it to her.

Without warning, he swung his foot back and kicked the girl with all the force he could in the ribs. Releasing a muffled grunt, she slid across the kitchen floor, hand holding her side.

Vernon grunted. Well, that just wouldn’t do. He wanted to hear her scream. She had to be taught a lesson and she would learn this one well.

“Thought you could interfere with my job did you freak? Thought I wouldn’t know?”

Green eyes stared at him defiantly from the huddled mess on the floor. A powerful fist crashed into the girl’s face, the force of which caused the child’s entire body to jerk.

“I don’t know who you think you are girl. We take you in out of the kindness of our hearts, fed you, clothe you, allowed you to live in our home and this is how you repay us?!”

He kicked the girl again and she slid across the floor and hit the fridge, a harsh expelling of air the only sound she gave. He sneered. That’s how she wanted to play it eh? He knew a sure fire way to make her scream. He was going to enjoy this immensely.

The sadistic glint in his eyes heightened as he unbuckled the leather belt he wore and snapped it to test its sturdiness.

He watched the girl remove herself from fetal position and sit upright. That rebellious look was still in her eyes but it was now joined by delicious fear, her lips were moving but he could hear no words.

She was an idiot if he thought he was giving her time to place some curse on him. With a speed surprising for a man of his size, he swung the belt intent on his goal of break skin with the first blow.

He was confused and alarmed to see his arm halt a mere few inches from the girl. It felt as if he was being there by some invisible force that would not release him no matter how much he struggled.

He shivered as he stared into glacial emerald eyes. There was nothing but an icy rage reflected back at him, the depths of which he was terrified to discover. Being the kind of man that he was however, Vernon kept up a pathetic façade to hide the soul deep fear he was experiencing.

“STOP WHATEVER FREAK MAGIC YOU’RE DOING AND LET ME GO GIRL. LET ME GO NOW OR YOU WILL REGRET IT!”

He had a feeling that it was a fruitless ruse. Those eyes saw everything. Those eyes that looked at him as if he was nothing, worth less than dog shit on the sidewalk. Eyes that told him not a scrap of remorse would be felt over taking his life.

The force tightened around his arm, he could feel the bones in his arm creaking under the pressure and he let out a pained moan. Without warning, he was flung out of the kitchen and propelled into the living room where he crashed into the couch.

The girl drifted behind him, silent as a ghost. A hazy, almost tangible aura undulating around her. He was struck by her eyes, eyes that held the promise of unimaginable pain in his future, and could not look away. His entire body was frozen in fear.

Her head tilted, a usually innocent action that made the girl all the more terrifying.  Her hand rose up, suspended in the air for a second, only a second, the single most petrifying second of Vernon’s 40 years, before she clenched a fist.

As she did so, a force closed around Vernon’s throat. He immediately panicked. He couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t breathe, he couldn’t breathe. The force around his throat got tighter by the second and black dots started appearing in his swimming vision.

No, he couldn’t die here. He couldn’t. Not without saying goodbye to his wife and son. Not without achieving his dreams. He planned on being the CEO of Grunnings one day and that couldn’t happen if he was dead. Who would take care of his family with him gone?     

The last thing Vernon heard before he lost consciousness was the girl’s voice. “Let this be a warning to you _Vernon_. This will be the last time you lay a hand on me. I spared your life this time but believe me when I say I will not do so again. No longer will I tolerate disrespect in this household. The quicker you learn that, the longer you live.”

**_*****Femme Fatale*****_ **

Kali did nothing to stop the tears carving lines down her face in the safety of her cupboard. She did it. She didn’t how but she had finally did it. She had fought back. She had gained some power.

She had known the second that Uncle Vernon walked in that she was in danger yet she was struck by fear and unable to move. She knew it was a psychosomatic reaction to Uncle Vernon. She had looked it up at school, it took her a bit but she eventually understood the concept.

This fear of him had been beaten into her as a child, was still being beaten into her. That fear would not allow her to defend herself against him. She just took everything he dished out and was too terrified to do something about it.

However, knowing why she reacted the way she did to the man was totally different from stopping the reaction from occurring.

So she had continued her task, ignoring the eyes burning into her back until the presence made itself known by trying to crack her ribcage with a large foot.

She pressed her lips together, screaming internally but refusing to show it to her uncle. He would only get more joy from it. She had learned that the hard way.

She glared at him from her position on the floor. Disgusting filth. He could try to break her body, he could even try to break her mind but he would never break her spirit. She would defy him to the very end.

He took her glare as a challenge. Even after the punch and kicks he landed on her, she refused to scream. She huddled on the floor where her body had been thrown. She hated this life, she hated **them.**

What was she doing? Curled up on the floor like a coward. Hadn’t she promised herself she would gain control? That the Dursley’s would be _hers_ to control? How could she do that when she was cowering on the floor in front of a sadistic whale of a man?

She forced her body in an upright position, body freezing in fear at the belt in his hand.

No, no, no. This wasn’t happening to her. She wasn’t going to let it. She had promised herself. How could she be like those women in the films when she was being as weak as she was here? How could she become great if she allowed this brute of a man to abuse her as he did? How could she live with herself if she let things go on as they were?

A well of hatred exploded within her as she sunk into an icy rage she had never experienced before. Emotions were muted here. A need for retribution consumed her. A strange feeling rose up within in and she knew that it would bend to her wishes.

She watched herself terrorize her uncle, the way he had done to her as long as she could remember. It was strange this feeling, this darkness that directed her actions. She stopped things just as Vernon went unconscious. No, she wouldn’t kill him. Not until she had other safety measures in place. If she was going to kill the Dursley's, she would end them all at once and in a way that would lead suspicion away from her. 

Quietly, she left the room, objects rearranging themselves until the only thing out of order was Vernon himself, and huddled in her cupboard, her only sanctuary in this personal hell. Instinctively, she locked the cupboard door to preserve her safety and privacy. Only then did she allow herself let go of the anger she had been operating under and experience the pure _joy_ and relief coursing through her body. She had finally done it. She swayed under the wave of exhaustion that hit her.  

She knew she looked awful. She could feel the developing bruises, Vernon may have even fractured a rib and possibly her cheek bone, but she was unconcerned. She had always been a quick healer. It could wait. It could all wait. Right now she needed sleep.

Curled into a ball, under the normally thin blanket changed by her magic to become what its mistress needed, she drifted away with a smile on her face.   


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...In which Kali has a strange dream

Hours later, Vernon awoke to the shrill screams of his wife. “Vernon, oh my god, Vernon. Answer me Vernon? Honey please! Oh no, I’ll have to call the paramedics. What will the neighbors say?”

Through his blurry vision, he saw the figure next to him make a movement to get up. He was speaking, hand out stretched to the figure to stop their movement, before he even thought about it. “NO!”

Suddenly aware of the volume of his voice, he consciously lowered it and croaked out an answer. “No pet, I’m quite alright. Just took a bit of a tumble.” His voice sounded strange even to him and he winced at the sound of it.

He was, however, still unsure of the real reason he was on the floor. Petunia had a pinched look of concern on her face.

“How did you get down there? How did you get those bruises?” She gasped dramatically. “Oh no, were you mugged? Did some rotten young hooligans gang up and get the best of you?”

It was like the mention of the bruises acted as a sort of trigger for his memories of the latest encounter with the freak living in his home, one not nearly as pleasant as past interactions. How had she done that? His hands flew up to his throat and he winced when his meaty paws came in contact with the bruises around his throat.

For a second, all time stood suspended as he sat still in disbelief. Not a moment later, he was pushing past his wife and making his way to the nearest mirror with a speed that was almost unnatural on a man his size.

When he caught a glimpse of his injuries, he choked down a strangled moan. Two large and very clear handprints in a mottled pattern of blue and black formed a collar around his throat, like a collar that restrained the rabid and violent dog belonging to every neighborhood hermit.

How dare the girl mark him in such a way? How disrespectful? After everything his family had done for her and this was how she repaid their kindness? Rage overtook all remnants of fear he had felt of the girl when he awoke on the floor.

A growl rumbled deep in his chest as he spun around and marched toward the cupboard. He would show the freak! He’d kill her! No more would she taint this innocent household!

Ignoring his wife’s questions,n(“Vernon dear, what happened? Where are you going? Was it the freak? Did she use her thingy to hurt you?”), he yanked on the cupboard door, only to over balance and fall back on his plump bottom when the door did not open as he inspected it to.

Ignoring the nudging in his mind that told him he was forgetting something important, Vernon gave into his rage and began pounding on the small door.

Paying no mind to the woman hissing at him, “Vernon what in the world! Stop it, you’ll wake the neighbors”, the man continued to beat away at the door until it swung open to slap away his fist.

He opened his mouth to rip the girl apart but froze when he stared into venomous green eyes and a strangely sibilant sound escaped her lips.

 “Yesssss, Vernon.” The girl’s tone was biting and ready at any second to spit vitriol.

Just like that, the missing piece to the puzzle that was his memory of the earlier confrontation gave Vernon an idea of the full picture.

He paled as unbidden, her threat arose in his mind.

**_“Let this be a warning to you Vernon. This will be the last time you lay a hand on me. I spared your life this time but believe me when I say I will not do so again. No longer will I tolerate disrespect in this household. The quicker you learn that, the longer you live”._ **

**_*****Femme Fatale*****_ **

_Kali awoke to an empty paradise. It stood completely barren except for an object in the distance. Seeing no other alternative, she made her way towards the indistinct shape in the distance. Playful mists curled around her ankles, caressing bare skin, as she calmly walked towards her goal._

_The shape became clearer and clearer as she got closer to it. It was a mirror, a full bodied one with jewel encrusted designs decorating the frame._

_A girl of around 17 stared back at Kali. She was beautiful and as naked as the day she was born. Loose curls the color of a raven’s wing hung to her waist and intense vivid green eyes lined in kohl traced the girl’s frame._

_She was average height with a dancer’s body, muscled and firm. She was perfectly proportioned with curves that drew men’s eyes. Green eyes narrowed as Kali tried to place where she had seen this girl before. A startled sound escaped her when she realized the girl in the mirror was her, or rather an older form of herself._

_She raised a trembling hand and reached out to touch the surface of the mirror in disbelief. As she did so however, it rippled. Shocked, Kali did nothing to stop herself from falling through the glass only to find herself in a ballroom._

_Around her, people laughed gaily and twirled around her in extravagant costumes, paying no mind to the girl on the floor. Standing up, Kali turned back to the mirror._

_Now she was wearing a beautiful deep red ball gown. An intricate black mask covered the upper portions of her face. She stared at her reflection, and noticed a handsomely dressed man sauntering up behind her. Like her, the upper portions of his face was covered by a mask._

_He leaned down, his warm breathe kissing the skin of her earlobe, and muttered, “How wonderful you look this evening, my lady.”_

_His voice was decadent, seductive and sinful. Involuntarily, Kali shivered. The man chuckled, noticing her reaction, and she glared at his reflection._

_Warm hands slid on to her hips and she could feel the warmth of his skin through her dress, hands that easily turned her around to face him and she went willingly. From what she could see, the man was extremely handsome. Her eyes focused for a second on his perfect jawline and bow shaped lips, before dragging her eyes upward._

_Drowning. She was drowning in his eyes, eyes the color of blood and roses. She could not find the will in her to look away. It was only when a smirk crossed his lips that she finally found the will to turn her head and look away._

_The man evidently didn’t appreciate her refusal to look at him, and he took the opportunity to pull her flush to his body. She was forced to look at him and, dance training kicking in, one leg wrapped around his waist as a way to keep her balance._

_They stared, bodies pressed together, while resplendent couples twirled faster and faster, matching the increased tempo of the music, until they were nothing but colorful blurs. They danced, oblivious to the obvious tension between the only pair standing still in the room._

_Kali felt dizzy, drugged on desire and the high energy permeating the room. She knew this was a dream. That she was far too young to feel the things she felt for this unknown male holding her in his arms, but knowing this didn’t mean she could stop the way she was feeling. It felt so real._

_The man leaned in, full lips brushing Kali’s as he whispered, “You have no idea what you do to me insolent girl.” There was the best kind of frustration in his voice and Kali felt smug for having been the one to make this powerful man feel this way._

_She couldn’t hide her own breathlessness as she whispered back, “Why don’t you show me?”_

_Lips almost touching, nothing more than a centimeter the only thing keeping them both from absolute bliss, the teen leaned in to close the gap…._

And promptly awakened to her uncle shouting and pounding on the cupboard door. So close, she was so close. It didn’t matter to her that she was slightly hazy on what she was so close to, parts of the dream already fading from her mind, she just knew that the man in her dream was important.

A violent rage filled Kali and the door popped open on its own accord in response to that anger. **How dare he!** The girl was unaware of the sibilant hiss influencing her words and adding a threatening edge to the anger filled words she spat at her beast of a relative.

Her uncle stood frozen, fear clear in his eyes, but he blustered on anyway. “Nothing, stay in this room girl. I don’t want to hear a peep out of you.”

She glared harder, smirking at the shiver of fear Vernon couldn’t quite hide. “As long as you do the same. I will not hesitate to destroy you and your family. “

She didn’t know where these words and this bravado was coming from. Maybe it was from the deep seated rage she couldn’t quite contain at this moment and the power flowing through her that she couldn’t quite control. Maybe this was a consequence of refusing to live like an animal in this house anymore. She could not and she would not. Not anymore.

She didn’t know how long this cold confidence would last, she was still terrified of her uncle and still a bit tired of from her earlier show of power. She also had to be careful with how much she threatened. If she scared them enough, they would undoubtly kill her in fear of their lives.     

“Let’s make a deal, hmm? We keep out of each other’s way unless I need something. That way you and your family can remain safe and I can remain free. I will still tend to the garden as I enjoy doing that task. I will, however, need Dursley’s second bedroom. Have we reached an agreement?”

She needed them to agree, while she was still in a position of power over them. If they realized the power they still had over her….

Vernon appeared to be debating the idea while Petunia was frozen in shock at her husband being spoken to that way. She opened her mouth to berate the girl but one glacial glare had her snapping her mouth shut.

The raven haired girl turned back to her uncle and asked her question again. “Have we reached an agreement?”

The thick man gave a short jerk of his head indicating a yes, yet there was a calculating look in his piggish eyes that meant Vernon was thinking of a way to get his revenge. He would give in for now, but she would have to watch her step while cooking up a plan of her own.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...In which Sarah confronts the Durlseys

“Robert, what can you tell me about Vernon Dursley?”

Robert could tell his sister was very interested in the answer, though he was bewildered as to why. Sarah was only interested in beauty, only paid special attention to the beautiful, and Vernon Dursley was _far_ from beautiful. In fact, Vernon would be so far beneath Sarah’s radar normally, he was surprised she knew what a Vernon Dursley was.

He didn’t bother questioning her as to why she knew Dursley was an employee of his even though he had never mentioned the man. He was resigned to the fact that Sarah had many connections, and if she wanted to know something, she could find it in a small amount of time.  

“That’s a strange request. What has he done to make you interested?”

His sister sighed. “Just answer the question Rob. This is serious.”

The brunet pondered his employee. How could he explain the man in simplest terms?

 “Well, personality wise, the man is a brute, a hypocrite, a bit of a bigot, and utterly distasteful. He’s manipulative and deceitful. However, Vernon is also very good at what he does. His personality leaves a lot to be desired and that’s why he will never receive the promotion I know he’s looking for, at least not from me. “

He received silence as an answer. “Why do you ask?”

Sarah made a strangled noise. “How would you feel about firing him, or, you know, destroying his life?”

Robert was startled. He could feel the anger in her voice. It was rare that anything stirred up enough interest to generate this kind of ire.

“Whatever for? This seems like an extreme measure. What did he do?”

There was a slight pause and he heard the sounds of Sarah exiting a vehicle.

“His niece is beautiful, kind of my next pet project. I think she has exactly the kind of spark I’ve been looking for…”

He interrupted her. “Really, I didn’t know he had a niece. I’ve never heard of the girl or seen her, and I’ve been over for business dinners.”

Pure rage was evident in her voice and she practically hissed at him. “I think they’re hurting her. I was sitting outside the house talking to you a few minutes ago when the girl came out.”

Sarah’s voice broke a little and her voice sounded teary. “She has these bruises, Rob. They're big, and everywhere. She has one on her cheek, a greenish-yellow one, and it practically covers the left side of her face. You can see them through her clothes. Her clothes that are practically threadbare, and so oversized that they are barely staying on her small frame. It belongs in the trash, not on a child. 

Robert narrowed his eyes as it all became clear to him. Children were sacred to them. They were to be spoiled, cherished, and taught but **never** to be hurt.

“You find out Sarah. If there is some truth to this, I will do everything in my power to ruin this man.”

Sarah let out a deep sigh, taking control of her anger.

“You and me both brother. You and me both. I’m here and I’m about to stop in for a surprise visit. I’ll call you back right after.”

Robert made a sound of affirmation before the line went dead. Staring at the phone in silence while a multitude of plans went through his head, a deviant light entered his hazel eyes. He marched to his office to get his plans in order.

Vernon Dursley would live to regret the day he laid hands on an innocent child.

**_*****Femme Fatale*****_ **

Sarah was fuming as she approached number 4. Tears prickled her eyes in her righteous rage as she firmly knocked on the door. She had promised herself that she would never knowingly subject a child to the pain she had known as a child.

See, Sarah wasn’t a natural born Britain. She and her brother Robert had been born Smiths, to a pair of poor American criminals and drug addicts. Her birth parents had been both neglectful and physically abusive before abandoning her and her brother all together when she was 7 and Robert was 12.

They had lived on the streets for a couple of months before someone helped them. Eventually, they were put into an orphanage where she and Robert was discovered and adopted by the Langdon family.

She had promised that she would spare all the children she could from the loveless childhood she had lived through. Until now, she had been successful, rescuing a number of children who were now in loving homes, and she would not fail the little doll she had instantly bonded with.

If need be, she was more than happy to adopt the child herself. In fact, she stored the thought away to be mulled over seriously at a later and more opportune time.  

The door opened to a long faced, pointy chinned woman, stick thin, in a well- made and only slightly objectionable salmon colored dress. Her skin was flawless, her makeup impeccable, and there were no discolored patches on her skin.  

This only made Sarah angrier. The woman was obviously well off, so why would her niece be clothed in rags and covered in bruises unless someone intentionally forced her into them? A clear sign of child abuse.

 The younger blonde didn’t bother with the pretense of politeness, even as narrowed dull blue eyes took in her tailored, designer, and obviously expensive pantsuit and a simpering grin crossed narrow lips.

“Hello, how are you?”

Not bothering to return a greeting, a sharp and dangerous smile crossed Sarah’s face.

“Petunia Dursley, we need to have a little talk about your niece.”

**_*****Femme Fatale*****_ **

Petunia was getting ready for afternoon tea with some of the ladies of the neighborhood, a monthly event that always had the most delicious and most scandalous gossip being exchanged, when she heard the knock at the door.

Her boys were in the living room totally engrossed in their rugby as men were wont to be. The freak had gotten the mail only after forcing Petunia to ask _nicely._ She had almost been tempted to slap the disrespectful smirk off the girl’s face but she had promised Vernon she would ignore the filthy little thing.

The raven haired girl had disappeared into her cupboard to clean out the last of the trinkets stored underneath. Hearing the knock again, she went to open it and greeted her guest, a pretty blonde in her mid-twenties.

She was obviously well off based on the state of her clothing. Petunia could just barely keep the jealousy from showing on her face as she eyed the designer pant suit.

Petunia placed her most impressive smile on her face, always mindful of the opportunities of the opportunities people like this young woman could present to her family.

The answering smile was sharp and dangerous. A shiver ran down Petunia’s back at the sight before she shook it off. The blonde wouldn’t do anything to hurt her. She was in broad daylight and was speaking to what looked like a respectable young lady.

Obviously, she could only be here for one reason. Opening her mouth to ask the woman what award her lovely little Dudley had won now, she was interrupted.

When the woman mentioned the freak, Petunia almost shut the door in surprise. However, her manners won out and a nervous smile twitched on her lips.

“I don’t know who you’re talking about. I’m sorry ma’am, I think you have the wrong house.”

 The smile on the woman’s face was now openly mocking and a condescending glint hardened her eyes.

“We are both very aware that you know very well what I’m talking about. And if you don’t want everyone else to know as well, then I suggest you let me in.”

Petunia could only stare at the cold young woman in front of her. They stared for a long time, long enough for Vernon to notice a problem and for Ms. Mulligan from number 5 to send several interested glances in the direction of the stand-off. She knew she had no choice but to let the woman in but that wasn’t the end of this war. They moved into the lounge.

Noticing her husband’s presence, she was quick to “explain” the situation. “Vernon dear, there’s a…someone here to see us about the girl”

She couldn’t help but send a smug look at the girl. Vernon could intimidate her quickly just as he had the other few people that had come sniffing around. She would leave and this entire issue would be forgotten.

She was disappointed to see that the girl was not paying her any sort of attention. She was examining the house, disdain clear for all to see.

Vernon visibly puffed up in indignation and sputtered, “Now see here young lady! We invited you into our household even after you mentioned that freak and you’d better treat us with the respect we deserve.”

Beady eyes glared at the young blonde before the couple froze as the woman pinned them in place with a vicious stare that promised pain and slowly turned to face them with a poisonously sweet smile.

“I’m sorry. It appears that I forgot to introduce myself. Where are my manners?” The sarcasm in her voice was blatant and caused Vernon to bristle even more.

“I’m Sarah Langdon, as in younger sister of Robert Langdon.” Her smile became even sweeter as Vernon slumped, body dropping like a puppet with its strings cut and his face abruptly paled.

Petunia looked between them in confusion, a tense moment before the connection dawned on her as well. She could not stop the look of horror that crossed her face.

Robert was Vernon’s boss. The Dursley’s had had him and his family over for dinner many a night and they had always sent the girl out of the house so her existence could be ignored. How then did his sister find out about the girl?

The important fact here was that it was well known that Robert was wrapped around his little sister’s fingers and would do whatever he could to make her demands possible. If he found out about the Dursley’s welcome, that would destroy any chance of Vernon moving up the chain of command for a long time, if ever again.

Or worst. They had heard from Robert how Sarah adored children. If she knew about the Dursley’s treatment of the girl, and from the look on her face she did, a lot more than Vernon’s chances for advancement would be destroyed. 

Petunia tried to salvage the situation.

“Oh well, very nice to meet you Sarah.” That sweet smile twitched and almost dropped.

“Ms. Langdon if you please.” Petunia could only wince at her blunder. “Now, if you’d please call your niece. There is a lot to discuss. “

Petunia could only comply with her wishes. “Please have a seat. Girl, come downstairs now!”

She ignored Sarah’s narrowed eyes. The girl made a pitiful sight as she walked down the stairs and into the lounge to meet the seated adults. Her back was hunched and her eyes stuck to the floor. The bruise on her face looked especially damning. Petunia ignored all these details and could only gape at the sad picture the girl presented. She looked nothing like the arrogant little twat that had been so brazen and defiant the past two days.

The girl’s voice was meek. “Yes, Aunt Petunia.”

At Sarah’s pained gasp, the girl’s eyes shot up and connected with horrified hazel. The delighted surprised in her eyes in contrast to the defeated slant of her body was jarring.

“Sarah, you came!”

The woman gave a genuine smile. “Of course I did. I promised didn’t I? You look tired. Why don’t you have a seat next to me?”

Petunia opened her mouth to object, the girl glancing at her and hesitating at the sight, but the completely hostile look Sarah sent her had the older woman swallowing her words. Vernon sat silently next to her.

The girl clambered up on the sofa, filthy hands inflicting horrors on the sofa’s floral pattern, and gingerly took a seat, her grimace immediately catching the younger adult’s attention.

“What’s wrong, honey?”

Kali spared the Dursley’s a quick glance before she shook her head. “Nothing.” Sarah studied the dark-haired girl for a bit before accepting she would get no answers at this moment. Fire raged in her eyes as she stared down the Dursley’s and that made them both very uncomfortable.

“You know, I originally came here with the intentions of making a very prosperous deal.” Petunia smiled a little, unable to hide the greed in her eyes. Looking over at her husband, she could see him doing the same.

The disgust in Sarah’s eyes were nearly palpable. “I wanted to sign a contract with you. I wanted your niece to model for my agency, I think she would be a wonderful addition. However…”

Petunia’s heart dropped.

“That was before I found out just what kind of _freaks_ you were. How dare you harm a child! How dare you. Children are precious, especially children like Kali.”

A bloodthirsty grin was leveled in their direction.

“You are going to regret the day you decided to harm a child, especially one I’m interested in. I’m going to fucking destroy you. I’m going to rip away everything you love. Your reputation will be in tatters, your son will be confiscated, your resources drained and taken, your job prospects shattered. This nice little life you’ve built up for yourself will only be a faint memory by the time I’m done with you. I’ll reduce you to begging for scraps on corners and spreading your legs for anyone willing to pay for a bit of your time.”

The Dursley’s were frozen in disbelief.

“You can’t- can’t do such a thing. You don’t have that much power.” Vernon stuttered.

The grin Sarah shot them was anything but nice. “Oh, I assure you I do. In fact, I’ll let you in on a little secret. As of 10 minutes ago, you were officially unemployed by Grunnings in light of evidence of long time theft. You will also be investigated of complaints of child abuse.”

Vernon sneered. “You have no proof.”

The sympathetic tone of Sarah’s voice was completely at odds with the coldness present in her eyes.

“Oh honey. I promise that there is. Years and years of proof. If you don’t shut your mouth, I can also promise that there will be a lot more damning evidence popping up. As for the child abuse, well I have all the evidence I’ll ever need.”

There were no more objections to be made. Sarah had stone walled them, had an answer to each of their denials. She held all the power in this confrontation.  

Turning to address the girl who looked shell-shocked at how fast things were progressing, Sarah said, “Kali, grab your things. I’ll be damned if I allow you to remain here for a moment longer.

The girl didn’t move. Vernon could no longer contain himself and snatched the girls arm, clutching it in a painful grip. He snarled, “You’re not going anywhere freak.”

Less than 10 seconds later, Kali had been released and had scuttled to Sarah’s side as Vernon huddle on the floor clutching a broken nose and Petunia kneeled next to him. Sarah lowered her leg and calmly smoothed the newly formed wrinkles in her suit. 

“Don’t you **ever** do that again. I can promise a world of pain next time. As a fourth degree black belt, I can make good on that promise.”

The Dursley’s were immobilized as they watched the woman kneel next to the girl with a soft look in her eyes. “Go ahead. I’ll watch them here.” The look on Kali’s face was almost indescribable. A mix of disbelief, exhaustion, joyous relief, and hesitance.

10 minutes later, Sarah gritted her teeth, muscle jumping in her cheek as she suppressed her rage. The girl had only come down with 2 backpacks full of belongings. It was a miserable sight.

Giving the Dursley’s a revolted scoff, she turned back to the girl. “I’m going to take you away from here now. You won’t ever be coming back. Just follow me and don’t even look at them. They aren’t worthy of a grain of your attention.” 

Sarah walked out the door, Kali’s belongings in hand, but the girl paused in the doorway. Her entire demeanor had changed back into the freakishly confident young girl they had known the past couple days. The gleeful spite in her eyes were evident and the smug smile on her face promised only dark things.

“She’s not lying, you know. You won’t escape punishment this time. She’s going to make you pay for every second of torment I’ve lived through under your roof, and I’m going to enjoy every second of it.”

The flash of teeth she gave them was less of a smile and more of a threat. With one last contemptuous glance at her surroundings, the girl flipped her hair and walked away, never once glancing back at the house she had lived in for the past seven years of her life.

Through it all, the Dursley’s could only stare in terror at the monster they had created, the monster whose machinations (unintentional or otherwise) had brought ruin to their lives.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...In which Kali begins to gain some fame

“Hermione, hey, come look at some of the proofs. You have an eye for beauty, tell me which ones are your favorite?”

The bushy haired 9 year old girl turned to her best friend. She grinned at the raven haired beauty approaching her with a brilliant smile.

Kali was still all made up for her shoot. Her long dark hair was artistically mussed, half mask of blank paint bringing attention to the intense green of her eyes. She wore only a skirt modeled in the style of the stereotypical Native American and strings of wooden beads that provided her some semblance of modesty, though she cared little for the notion.

Even now, she was astonished that someone as beautiful as Kali had taken notice of someone as plain and bookish as she was. And that was even before Kali was taken away from the Dursley’s.

After living with Sarah, Kali had truly blossomed and her modeling career took off immediately. It seemed that Kali’s striking features were a hot commodity in the modeling world.

The first day of them hanging out was wonderful. Kali was willing to listen to everything Hermione said, no more than that. She actually _cared_ about what Hermione was saying and participated in the conversation. Not even her parents had done that for her. Naturally, she couldn’t help but be worried when neither Dudley nor Kali turned up in school for the next week.

The Kali who showed up at school finally was totally different. She wore clothes that fit her for once, obviously expensive and well made. She was put together nicely, ignoring the faintest evidence of a blemish on her face, the complete opposite of her usually scruffy appearance.

Hermione held no high hopes of continuing to be Kali’s friend once she returned to school with a complete makeover that actually showcased her beauty and the other kids began to accept her.

So imagine her surprise when Kali continued to associate with her and kept her distance from the other kids. Of course, she was still very cordial but she only freely expressed her emotions with Hermione.

Over the past year, Hermione had claimed the role of Kali’s best friend and had gained all the perks that came with the position. Like this for example. They were in France for a weekend while Kali shot a spread for Ralph Lauren and the cover of French Vogue Enfant.

Sarah was very wealthy and more than willing to spoil Kali. It wasn’t a case of Sarah trying to buy Kali’s love, she had gained that on her own, but of Sarah trying to provide everything Kali had never known before. If Sarah had a choice, Kali would never go without ever again. She would only allow Kali the best.

She was not in the habit of saying to Kali either. When Kali had wanted to bring her best friend on her trip to France, Sarah had done everything in her power to make it so.  

It had been slightly difficult getting Hermione’s parents to agree but they had finally done it. Delicate fingers snapped in front of her face. “Mione, are you listening to me?”

Her attention was brought back to the present. She brushed the other girl’s hand away. “Yes, I’m coming. I’m just not sure the photographer will let us have a peek at those proofs. I’m almost positive it isn’t allowed.”

She didn’t fight as the girl grabbed her arm and gently tugged her along, adults shooting them either amused or annoyed glances as they passed by in a hurry. She didn’t truly mind as she had found out over the past year that Kali was incredibly tactile once she got out of her shell. At least for those that had earned her respect; she could still be rather cold to those that crossed her.

Kali sent her a mischievous smirk that practically screamed _watch this._

“François,” She called out while letting go of Hermione.

This was an aspect of Kali that saddened her, this mask she was forming. Sure she knew all about Kali’s dream and her complete idolization of the archetypal femme fatale, but this Kali wasn’t really the down to earth girl she was coming to know. This Kali was colder, more purposeful, and was not afraid of using her god given “assets” to get what she wanted.

During their time together, she had watched Kali begin to hone these skills. Sarah was slowly teaching her everything she knew about flirting, deception, and manipulation, skills she utilized daily in her business.

Kali practiced at every opportunity and on anyone around her, including Hermione. So as she watched the girl speak to the tall dark haired man across the room in low tones, hand on his arm and one finger gently smoothing circles in his skin in what seemed to be a thoughtless and unconscious movement, she felt for him.

She knew intimately what it felt like to have all that intense attention concentrated solely on yourself. You feel like you are the most important thing in the universe, a feeling that could quickly become addicting. Everyone wants to feel like they are important.

A couple of minutes later, Kali had successfully convinced the man to let them take a peek at her film. As the man set up shop slightly out of earshot, Kali said,” Did you see that? It worked! Sarah told me it would, it works all the time for her and its relatively innocent but I wasn’t quite sure it would work for me!”

Dark satisfaction lay buried in Kali’s eyes as she grinned at her best friend. Hermione fought the automatic grin that wanted to slide of her lips and frowned instead.

“You know I don’t like when you do that, Kali.”

The other girl pouted at her. “I’m just having a bit of fun. No one’s getting hurt. This isn’t at all serious. I’m just practicing. There's no risk to him or his job either. His tastes are not aligned with our age group and everyone knows that. He merely thinks of me as a precocious tactile child and I am happy to reinforce that image.”

The adult in the room made a noise that grabbed both girls attention and waved them over. The pictures were beautiful but Hermione’s favorite was the fourth one.

It was a close up of Kali’s face. She was slightly frowning, hands grimy with the paint around her eyes touching her face. There was something of a savage beauty to the young girl in it.

“I love that one the most” Kali stated, pointing at Hermione’s favorite. The photographer nodded in agreement. Kali turned to smile softly at the man who smiled softly in return.

“Thank you François. My friend and I have to leave now but I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Hermione almost scolded her for playing with the man’s feelings before she realized that both the smile and the goodbye were genuine. She couldn’t help but smile at her friend.

**_*****Femme Fatale*****_ **

_“For our last finalist tonight, please welcome 9 year old Kali Potter!”_

Sarah cheered as loudly as she could. She couldn’t believe Kali had made it this far. She had been skeptical when Kali said she wanted to audition for Live to Dance.

It was the girl’s favorite show and the most watched television show in all of Europe at that time. They were having open auditions in London and there was not an age limit on the contestants.

Though she was something of a dance prodigy, she had only really had a year and a half of serious dance training. A year and a half of training that was interrupted by school, various modeling engagements, and friends.

She was young and would be put against much more mature dancers with a lot more experience and training. There was even more risk in being a solo act as there was no guarantee the people would be interested. And beyond the initial audition, it was the audience who controlled who won the competition.

And yet… there was something telling her not to let the opportunity pass. That voice had never failed her before so she went with it. She didn’t think anything would come of it beyond Kali maybe gaining some experience and learning a life lesson.

Kali had gone out there and it was obvious that the judges were interested but didn’t expect much out of the young girl.

So when she had performed the routine that had recently won her the title of Jr. Miss Showstopper, their jaws had dropped. It was gritty and powerful, not something to be expected from the doll like figure before them. They raved about her technique, and her passion. They hadn’t seen it coming and neither had Sarah.

Apparently, the shows audience loved her just as much as she was consistently one of the top scoring contestants.    

She had gained real fame then, enough for people to stop her on the streets and tell her how much they loved her dancing. People who watched the show began to recognize her in magazines also and this led to her beginning to sign autographs.

Sarah would forever be amused at the bewildered and slightly terrified look Kali had given the first few times she was recognized and asked to sign an autograph. She had quickly grown accustomed to it and better at handling the attention she still shied away from sometimes so Sarah’s initial enjoyment ended just as quickly to her dismay. Teasing Kali was one of her favorite activities.

The lights had dimmed in time with the announcement. A small figure sauntered out on stage. Sarah’s smile widened in pride. She could tell her Kali had been practicing the saunter she taught her and it was very impressive. She had been bemused to notice Kali copying some of her mannerisms the first couple of weeks they lived together.

 An idea hit her when she noticed just _which_ of her mannerisms Kali chose to copy. She supposed some people would be appalled at her teaching a 7 or 8 year old flirting/seduction techniques but it had brought them together and Sarah couldn’t bring herself to care.  She watched the girl and she had only used it for innocent purposes.

Besides, she was a child. She didn’t have a sex drive yet. When she gained one, she would sit the girl down and tell her all about the process and give her sound advice. Honestly, she wasn’t trying to be Kali’s mother. She wasn’t a very maternal person even if she cared about children a great deal. She wanted to be Kali’s big sister and her confident. She wanted to be someone Kali would tell all her problems too.

Her attentions were diverted as Kali began to move. Unlike her audition, this routine was all about slow beautiful movements. Her movements were graceful and she danced as easily as she breathed.

Emotion was evident in every wide sweep of her arm, in every delicate glide across the stage on pointe, in every gentle curl of her legs. Her open black skirt flared around her during every leap and turn, liquid darkness shadowing the curves of the vessel it clung to.

The tale she told with her body was one of grief, of loss, of the search for something (love, understanding, purpose) that still eluded the subject. 

 As she rose from where she had slid on the floor, the music ended. The crowd was silent before breaking into raucous applause. Kali aimed a blinding smile at the audience as they rained praises on her.

 The auburn haired announcer walked on stage with the young girl and gave her a side hug.

_“Wow that was amazing. Let’s listen to what the judges have to say.”_

The first judge, a middle aged man with a receding hairline, said,” _That was fantastic. One of the best contemporary dance solos I have ever seen performed by someone so young. Even if you don’t win here tonight, I know you will be a star.”_

The second judge, a young brunette with a pitched voice sniffled. “ _That was so beautiful it brought tears to my eyes. This is exactly what I was talking about. You’ll go far with that kind of star quality.”_

The last judge, a man with a stern face and a naturally disapproving face, broke into a smile. **_“_** _You are one of my favorite contestants. Even if you don’t win the prize here tonight, I’d happily employ in some side projects of mine. We can’t let that much talent go to waste.”_

Sarah watched as Kali flushed prettily at the first judge’s praise, steadily getting redder as time went on. The crowd aww’d at the adorable display in front of them.

_ “Let’s welcome all of our final contestants back to the stage.”  _

A woman and two couples filed on to the stage.

_ “The last of the votes have been counted. Drum roll please? The winner of Live to Dance and the $500,000 prize is going to be….”  _

The stadium was tense with anticipation and Sarah’s ears rang with the sound of a thousand feet rattling the ground.

**_“Kali Potter!”_ **

Sarah couldn’t stop the shriek that sprung from her throat as she rushed to the stage to wrap up the tearful child in a massive hug. She did it!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1st dance referenced to is “Requiem” performed by Sophia Lucia. You can see it here: https://www.youtube.com/watchv=GgqTzIMDAqY&list=PLvlP5UrQWKrmzy3TX7ZuZ4TSUBWQp5F-J .  
> 2nd dance described/ referenced to below is “The Hours” performed by Hayden Hopkins. You can follow this link to see it: https://www.youtube.com/watchv=yg1z6TB7vI0&list=PLvlP5UrQWKrmzy3TX7ZuZ4TSUBWQp5F-J&index=79


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...In which Kali reaps the benefits of her seductions through the eyes of another and gets a bit emotional

_She was running, panting heavily as she tried to get it away. Branches and brambles tugged at her skin but she had no time to protest the rough treatment. She had to get away, they were gaining on her. She skid to a stop as glowing eyes peered out from the forest in front of her and a monstrous growl ripped through the trees._

_Shit, this was just not her day. She took off in another direction, feet pounding into the ground as she forced her leg muscles to work until the end of their endurance._

_The air was heavy and pressed down on her body. It was getting harder to breathe with the complete terror holding her body in a chokehold. She tripped on a hidden branch just as something slammed into her side._

_White hot pain seared the right side of her torso when she hit the ground. She couldn’t help it, she screamed. The sound of footsteps crunching dead leaves assaulted her ears. She wasn’t done yet. They were sadly mistaken if they thought she was the answer to their problems. She would never tell them where **she** was. She drew the poisoned dagger she had hidden beneath her robes. _

_She valiantly ignored the pain flaring up her side as she struggled to breathe, much less talk. She directed her voice to the shadows peering at her from the woods as she struggled._

_“You’re going to lose you know. They’re going to change everything for the better. My loyalty belongs to **them**. You’re far too late. The Revolution will persevere!” _

_With those last words, she took the dagger and plunged it into her breast. She died with a smile on her face, visions of emerald and ruby eyes accompanying her in her last breaths._

Evelyn woke from her nightmare, the details of which were already blurring in her mind, breathing just as heavily as she had in the dream. Her husband Brad stirred next to her but didn’t wake. She sighed in relief. She hated waking him up with her nightmares. He was more than used to it as it was an affliction she had had for as long as he’d known her but she still hated to trouble him.

She looked over to the clock and sighed deeply as blinking red numbers read **3:00am.** Remembering the bit of chocolate cake she had hidden away in the fridge, she decided to indulge herself in a middle of the night snack break before she tried to catch a couple more hours.

She silently left the bed and padded softly down the hall before something caught her attention.

The door to her daughter’s room was slightly ajar and she was alarmed to hear whispering going on before she remembered that Hermione’s best friend had stayed overnight.

Wasn’t that a novelty? Hermione’s best friend. Up until 2 years ago, she had been worried that the dear would be friendless forever. She hadn’t the slightest clue on how to interact with normal children. Quite frankly, she had just been too smart. 

Sadly, children are cruel and always ready to exclude those who are different. The move had occurred mostly because the bullying had gotten so bad that Hermione refused to go to school anymore. That was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Her little girl, who lived and breathed knowledge, too afraid of being at school. They had transferred to Surrey within the next two weeks.

It wasn’t a huge sacrifice on their parts. They had enough money saved up that the move was relatively painless and their new house was closer to the office anyway.

It was at Surrey Prep that Hermione had met Kali. It was a shock the day Hermione had come home with the biggest smile on her face and prattled on about her new friend Kali. The name gained a bit of Eve’s interest.

 Kali was the Hindu goddess also known as “The Dark Mother” who was typically associated with death and destruction. She wondered if the girl’s parents were of Indian descent. She had always been interested in religions and other spiritual beliefs. She and the girl’s parents could have fascinating debates as the children played.  

That idea was quickly discarded once she met the girl a couple of months later. She had skin the color of fresh cream, hair the color of a raven’s feather, and the greenest eyes Eve had ever seen.

She was still ashamed to say that she was immediately suspicious of the girl and her attentions toward her daughter. She suspected her of using her daughter to do her homework or planning a cruel joke, even as young as she was. It wasn't the first time that Hermione had been tricked from people with those same intentions. People that beautiful didn’t normally take notice of people like Hermione unless they wanted something from them.

Most of the suspicion had disappeared once she had actually had a lengthy conversation with Kali and her daughter. She discovered the other girl to be very intelligent, not as intelligent as Hermione but close enough. They had discussed topics a fair bit advanced for girls not yet 9 and 10. They had argued different points thoroughly. She would forever be grateful to the girl for giving her love the increasing confidence the brunette was expressing these days.

However, the last of that lingering doubt had Eve slowing and peeking into the room through the crack in the door. She suppressed the surprised noise that almost slipped from her mouth.

The scene she looked in on was uncomfortably intimate, especially for a pair of girls so young. In fact, Kali had just recently turned 10.

 They were both seated on a blanket stretched across the center of the room. Hermione was sitting with her legs crossed and her hands boxed in a single wooden block with a D carved into it. Eve recognized it as one they had used to teach Hermione her letters as a child.

Kali was kneeling behind her, hands massaging the brunette’s shoulders as she murmured in her ear. A short period later, Kali took a hand from her shoulders and trailed it down Hermione’s side in the shape of a large oval.

Her voice was slightly louder now, loud enough for Eve to hear the words she said if she strained her ears. She had yet to move for mouth from its position beside Hermione’s ear.

“I need you to relax Mione. Just feel the energy flow. My hands are following its path. Just focus on it. You can do it.”

The girl’s hand went back up to Hermione’s shoulder before moving down Hermione’s outstretched arm, fingers feather light on the other girl’s skin.

Kali’s voice was vaguely seductive, almost a purr.

“Accept the energy and exert your dominance over it. Send it down your arms and to your fingertips. Remember your goal. You want the block to lift. You have to **want** it, want it like your life depends on you achieving it.”

There was a tense moment where it seemed like everything in the room froze. Eve found herself holding her breathe. Then Kali whispered harshly, **“Release it!”**

The block rocked for a second before it rose shakily in the air up maybe 6 inches from what Eve could see and held there for a few seconds before it dropped to the ground.

Kali threw her arms around Hermione and buried her head in the other girl’s shoulder to muffle the squeak of joy she wanted to let out. “You did it!”

Hermione for her part only reached back and patted her friend’s head, mouth gaping in shock.

Eve’s face mirrored her daughters. She stumbled away from the door and toward the kitchen. As she savored the delicious cake she had saved, she processed what she had just seen.

The feat itself was not what occupied her attention. She had noticed increasingly odd things happening around her daughter as she aged. The incidents were less numerous these days but far more spectacular. It was getting harder to hide it.

She knew her little girl was special, but she was paranoid about what would happen if anyone found out. Maybe it was silly, but Eve couldn’t quite escape errant thoughts of government scientists abducting and experimenting on her daughter.

That brought her thoughts to the black haired enigma visiting her home. There was something mysterious about the girl. She was too mature for her age. Eve had never seen the girl lose her cool once in the entirety of the time she had known her.

Something about the girl was not quite right. At times, there was an unholy glint in her eyes and a peculiar smirk played on her lips, as if she was silently laughing at some joke you’d never understand. It made her nervous.

In addition to these odd quirks, she had done more than discover Hermione’s special gifts. She looked to be instructing the older girl in how to use it. Eve could only assume that Kali had experienced the same string of occurrences but had somehow gained a bit of control over them.

Eve shook her head in frustration. 

Neither the less, it was evident that the Kali was particularly charismatic and she worried about what she could persuade Hermione to do, especially if the older girl was desperate to keep her friend.

She resolved to keep a close watch on the girl. If she was detrimental to Hermione’s well-being, well then she would have to be removed from her life. Her daughter’s safety came first.

**_*****Femme Fatale*****_ **

“Lily dear, can you go outside and tell Kali to come in now. I need her help. She’s most likely at the park.”

“Why do I have to get her?” Lily huffed but left to do as she was told. She didn’t like Kali. The girl was selfish and snobbish. Lily had extended a hand in friendship to her after her aunt had taken the girl in but she was rejected in favor of that other new loser.

She had tried a few more times to be friends but her attempts were rebuffed every time. Worse yet, she was rejected quite politely so she couldn’t react as she wanted to because of how childish it would make her look.

She didn’t even know where she was. Kali had just said she was going outside. Now Lily had to look all over the neighborhood to find her.

She hadn’t looked long, indeed in the direction of the park, before she heard a distinct cry of amusement she knew belonged to Kali. She stalked in the direction of the sound, ready to berate the girl, but her voice caught in her throat at the sight that met her eyes.

Kali was leaning against a tree, a strange smile tugging at her lips as she glanced coyly from underneath her eyelashes. A handsome boy around 12 or 13 boxed her in with his hands as he smirked down at her.

Lily’s face twisted in confusion even as she ignored the heat she could feel from her face. So what if she was blushing. Sam Corvington was gorgeous and she had been nursing a crush on him for the past month. He was a few years older than her but he was always nice to her when he picked up his younger brother from her school in the afternoons. Though she knew he only saw her as his little brother’s friend, she had thought she was catching a bit of his interest these days.

Lily’s eyes narrowed as the thought occurred to her. What was Sam doing here anyway? She was sure that he didn’t live around here. How did Kali know him?

Lily’s eyes narrowed into slits as she noticed the two moving slowly closer to each other as they exchanged banter. She hated the flash of Kali’s pretty eyes in the afternoon sunset, she hated the soft smile that had settled on Sam’s face as he stared at the younger girl, she hated—

Her thoughts screeched to a stop as she tried to process the sight in front of her. They were kissing. Sam’s lips were on Kali’s lips and they weren’t moving. They looked quite happy with their predicament. Why? Why? Why? What? How?

Lily’s frantic thoughts played on a loop that distracting her from the feeling of her heart shriveling in her chest at the sight.

Before she knew it, she was barking, “Kali!” as she marched over the content couple. 

The two jerked apart at the interruption, Kali banging her head on the truck of the tree behind her. Sam ignored Lily as he gently rubbed Kali’s head to sooth away the pain, laying a light kiss where the pain centered. Lily’s heart clenched when Sam appeared to be utterly captivated by the grateful smile Kali sent him before she turned her attentions back to Lily.   

It wasn’t fair. Kali was beautiful, popular, and famous. She was a world renowned dancer and a sought after model. She had everything Lily had ever wanted. Why did she have to take Sam away too?  

The blonde ignored the greeting they gave her and bit out the message she had come to deliver as she tried to blink away the tears that threatened to blur her vision. “Aunt Sarah would appreciate it if you came home. She needs your help with an important topic.”

She ignored the concerned looks the pair shot her at the flat and inflectionless tone of her voice just as she ignored the faint murmuring behind her as walked away. She was not quite fast enough to avoid the sound of one last goodbye kiss and that was when the tears broke through.

She just barely resisted the urge to punch the other girl in the face and destroy all that valued beauty when Kali caught up to her and noticed the tears staining her face.

“Lily, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?”

Lily angrily rubbed the tears from her eyes and glared. “What’s wrong? You should know! You’re the bloody problem!”

The stupid look of confusion on the dancer’s face ignited Lily’s rage even more.

“It’s not fair. You already have everything I want. You shouldn’t be able to have Sam too. I really liked him. Why does everyone prefer you?”

A realization dawned on Kali. “Oh, I’m sorry you had to see that. I mean, I didn’t know you liked him, there was no way I could have known that but sorry all the same. Honestly, if you want him, go after him.”

Lily’s glare deepened. “I can’t. It’s obvious he really likes you. Why would anyone pick me over you?”

The raven haired girl frowned. “Don’t say things like that Lily. Plenty of people would choose you over me.” She ignored the other girl’s snort of disbelief.

“I mean it. I’m not perfect. I’m not even really a nice person. As for Sam, you have the wrong idea. We aren’t anything serious. We met at one of the local shoots and clicked. He offered to give me some experience with kissing and I took it. We aren’t dating. So go after him if you want him.”

Lily was doubtful. There must have been some miscommunication going on. Boys didn’t look at girls they were casually seeing like Sam had looked at her, even if Kali didn’t really care about the relationship. Bitterly, she couldn’t stop the thought. Maybe Kali didn’t recognize a clear case of someone being love sick because so many guys looked at her like Sam did, like she was the end all and be all of their world.

She couldn’t stop the pure vitriol that poured out of her mouth. “Save it. I don’t need your bloody advice. You’re right. Sam probably doesn’t even like you. He’s only with you because you’re _easy_. You are a **_whore._** ”

She left the frozen girl on the street, ignoring the twinge of guilt she felt at Kali’s pained expression. She stormed off and refused to look behind to see if Kali followed her. Her anger flared again and buried the guilt when she stomped into the house and the first thing Sarah asked about was Kali.

“That was quick. Did you find her?”

Lily didn’t bother to answer. She just let out a frustrated sound slightly garbled by her tears and flounced to her room. She refused to open the door when Sarah knocked and she knew the woman would never walk in without permission of the occupant.

30 minutes later, she was all cried out and a heavy sense of guilt permeated the room. She knew it wasn’t fair of her to snap at Kali and rebuff Sarah’s concerned gestures.

She knew she needed to apologize, so she quietly slipped out of her room and strode down the hall. She stopped when she heard quiet sobs and her heart wrenched. She knew that voice. Kali was crying. She knew it was wrong but she crouched and crawled near the reading room where the voices had originated.

She couldn’t see anything at her angle, but it didn’t matter. The words she heard was what was important.

“It’s okay sweetie. Are you ready to tell me what’s wrong?”

She heard Kali sniffling, trying to quiet her cries. Lily could almost picture the scene.

 They would be seated in the small comfortable couch placed in center of the room. Sarah would be dressed for bed, her short blonde hair bound and her body clothed in sweats. Kali would be curled up, body taking up 2/3rds of the space of the couch and her head in Sarah’s lap.

Curly dark hair would flow around the girl in a sea of living shadow, bringing her tearful face into sharp clarity. Lily was sure she would be a pretty crier. Perfect little tears would cut straights paths down her face, rolling over flushed cheeks and trembling lips. 

“I was called another name today.” Sarah sighed.

“What did they call you this time?’ Kali let out a sad little laugh.

“They added some variety. I was a whore this time, not a slut or a bitch or in one memorable occasion the devil child.”

She heard rustling, the sound of them shifting positions. Sarah was probably gathering Kali close to her. She always gave the most comforting hugs.

“Ignore those girls. They’re just jealous of who you are and what you have accomplished so far. Always remember, you are a very special person and you will be great one day. I just know it.”

Lily tried to block out the involuntary twinges of jealousy she felt. 

“I know that. I can usually ignore it. I _know_ that I can’t let what they say get to me. I _know_ that not everyone will like me. I just….the girl who called me the name today. I **know** she doesn’t like me. I know that. But I didn’t expect her to hate me so much as to call me a whore over a boy she likes. I can’t help who I’m with, and I know that I can’t live my life trying to please people who will never be satisfied. You’ve made sure I know these things. And yet… I can’t help but be devastated. For some reason, I really like this girl even if she hates me. I go out of my way to avoid her because I know she doesn’t like seeing me yet it doesn’t change anything. It’s just…. I’ve been holding out hope that we could be friends one day but now I know that was a stupid dream. She’s important to people who are important to me so I want her to like me. Usually, I don’t care what other people think. I wouldn’t care if it was someone else. If it was just some random jealous girl, I could just laugh it off. So why does it hurt so much right now?”

Lily didn’t want to hear anymore. She quietly walked back to her room and slid into bed, suddenly exhausted under the weight of the events of the day. Her little eavesdropping session had been an eye opener.

Though she hadn’t mentioned any names, Lily was sure that Kali was talking about her. It didn’t make sense. She was _sure_ that Kali didn’t like her. She never tried hang out with Lily and always disappeared when she was around. However, maybe that was just Kali acting on the belief that **_Lily_** was the one who hated her.

She closed her eyes and resolved to fix her mistake. There was a good chance that Kali Potter would be a great friend to have.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...In which Minerva finally meets Kali

Kali glanced at the Amanda’s watch and blinked. She didn’t realize it had gotten that late. She needed to leave now if she wanted to be home before Hermione arrived. She had been allowed to stay over this weekend and she had indicated that she had a secret to share.

Kali, being the immensely curious girl that she was, couldn’t let go of the thought and she had been thinking about what the secret could be obsessively over the past few days.

To make the time pass faster in between then and when Hermione would arrive in the evening, she had been spending time with Sam and his friends at his home.  Though Kali was years younger, the group had accepted her warmly. With her maturity, Kali fit well into the older group.

(She still found it amusing that being accepted by this group meant she was considered popular or “cool” at her school when meeting and dancing in front of the _**Queen** _ had not done the same.)

She stood up from where she had been lounging with Stacy and Amanda while they watched Dean, Nick, Ben, and Sam play football. Her move caught the attention of the girls at the picnic table.

The auburn haired teen at the table cocked her head to the side in a surprisingly bird like gesture that Kali had always found completely endearing. Her words caught the attention of the males in the area.

“Where ya going Kali?”   

She stretched a bit, bathing in the dying sunlight while she pretended she didn’t feel eyes glossing over her form. Silly boys. They weren’t nearly as subtle as they thought they were.

She turned her head and hid a smile as she replied, “I have to get home. Hermione is coming over.”

The others nodded their head in understanding. Kali had brought Hermione around a few times and they all thought the girl to be a bit uptight but adorable. They had expressed curiosity into the dynamics of the friendship more than a few times.

They just weren’t the type of girls you would expect to be friends. Hermione was bookish, and socially awkward while Kali was a free spirit, brazen and gregarious. It didn’t seem like they would be best friends. However, anyone who had seen the girls together knew they were good for each other. Kali encouraged the Brunette to come out of her shell and Hermione reined in Kali's more dangerous or self-destructive tendencies. 

Ben, a handsome dark skinned boy with hazel eyes, grinned at her. “Let me walk you home. Who knows what could happen to pretty little girls all by their lonesome?”

Sam shoved his best friend semi-playfully while sending him a glare. “Stop flirting with her.” Turning to Kali and blocking his friend’s view, he sent her a charming smile. “I’ll walk you home Kali.”

She merely raised a finely arched brow at the display in front of her. She drug her eyes over both of the boys deliberately, gaze slow and purposeful. Sauntering over to the boys, she smiled when she saw that both of their attentions were focused solely on her movements.

Being petite, she had to stand on her tippy toes in order to a hook a finger in each boy’s collar. Tugging, she brought them both a little closer to her face.  Time to practice that seductive voice that Sarah was trying to teach her.

According to the blonde, she wouldn’t have to do much as her voice was naturally a bit husky. She just had to drop the pitch a bit, make the situation feel more intimate.

She lowered her tone, and leaned in so that the boys’ faces were even closer to hers.

“I appreciate the sentiment boys. Really, I do. What girl wouldn’t want a handsome young man defending her honor?”

Her hand detached itself from their collars and slid down their chest, each hand in unison with the other.

“And **two** of these big strong men want to protect me? Well, you gents certainly know how to flatter a girl.”

She let her eyes follow the path of her hands before coyly glancing up at the enraptured males in front of her. The yard was silent as everyone watched the scene in front of them, spellbound.

The tension broke as Kali suddenly broke out in a sunny grin and patted the boys’ chest in a placating gesture before stepping back. “However, I’m more than capable of defending myself in the five minutes it will take for me to walk home. Thank you very much.”

The other teens in the yard lost it at the sight of Sam and Ben’s confused faces. Kali reveled in the feeling of companionship before realizing what had instigated the situation originally.

She flashed her most mischievous smile at the group as she gathered her things.

“I really do need to leave. What kind of host would I be if I wasn’t there to greet my guest?”

She allowed the mandatory round of farewell hugs while pretending to be disgruntled about the fact. They could all see through her disguise as they all knew how much she loved hugs, being the tactile sort of girl that she was.

She couldn’t help but hug Sam tighter when it was his turn. She took a deep breath and sighed. He always smelled so good. She loved that about him.

He walked out to the front of her yard, arm throw across her shoulder. “Are you coming by tomorrow with Hermione?”

She wrinkled her nose in thought. “I don’t know. I haven’t seen her in a while. We may just have a girl’s day and hang out in the house doing secret girly things. Don’t ask what, you wouldn’t understand.”

Sam snorted. “Well, a woman’s mind is a dangerous place. I don’t think I really want to know honestly. “ 

She looked up to see Sam peering at her with a distinctly fond look in his eyes. It made her a bit uncomfortable.

Since the Lily episode a few weeks ago, she had been trying to ignore any indication of Sam having “feelings” for her. She didn’t want to hurt him but while she liked Sam as a person and as a friend, she wasn’t romantically interested in him beyond the experience he could give her.

It sounded cold but it was true.

 Hermione had urged her to let Sam know how she felt but she couldn’t take the chance of that revelation ruining the arrangement they had set up. Besides, who knows how that would ruin the dynamics of the group? Sam’s friends had become her friends and she didn’t want to risk that friendship either.

No, she would let Sam come to her. She dreaded that the day because it meant she would have to break Sam’s heart and go through the hassle of finding someone else acceptable for a brief fling that was comfortable experimenting without a formal relationship. That was surprisingly difficult to find in boys near her age.

She suppressed a sigh. She could always go after older boys but her options would be a bit limited with her body just starting to develop. Older boys liked the curves she just didn’t have yet. They would be a challenge however, and Kali _lived_ for challenges.

 She tossed the thought away to mull over later.    

She didn’t want to see that look in Sam’s eyes anymore so she distracted him with her lips. She waited until he got absorbed into the kiss before pulling away.

Kali glanced at the sky. It was getting dark. She should have left already. After prying Sam’s hands away from her hips and one more peck on the lips, she left. She practically sprinted to her home and broke out into a large smile when she saw the Granger’s car in the driveway.

Mione was here!

**_*****Femme Fatale*****_ **

Minerva McGonagall sighed and stared up at the modest home in front of her. Hermione Granger was her last charge of the day, of the entire week, and she was more than ready to make her way back to her bed.

Her robes swept about her body as she walked to the front door and knocked.

A middle aged woman with caramel colored hair opened the door with a warm smile. That smile faltered slightly in trepidation when she saw the professor’s robes and hat.

She cleared her throat, voice rough after much use, and greeted the woman. “Hello, you must be Ms. Granger. May I come in?”

That shocked the woman out of her puzzled thoughts and she flustered. “Oh, of course. I apologize. That was rude.”

McGonagall nodded at the woman. “It’s understandable. You wouldn’t have seen attire like this beyond Halloween in the non-magical world. However, this is normally what those in the Wizarding World wear.”  

Ms. Granger led her through the house into the living room. She cast her eyes quickly over her surroundings, over the man who she presumed was Mr. Granger, the brunette that was slightly quivering in her seat with a mixture of curiosity and excitement, landing on the petite raven haired girl lounging in a comfy chair flipping through a magazine.

She couldn’t help the sharp intake of breathe when she was assaulted with images of a cherubic toddler wobbling around her room, emerald eyes alight with joy when she was presented with a lion plushy that Minerva had transfigured for her.

It was a mistake but she couldn’t stop the name from escaping. “Kali.”

Instantly, the chemistry of the room changed. The adults were merely confused and a bit suspicious but nothing very overt. It wasn’t completely unusual for some random person to know of Kali.

Hermione, however, had stiffened and was glaring at the woman who had invaded her home. Her posture screamed hostile and she growled. The familiarity in the woman’s voice had sent off warning bells in her head. “How do you know her name?”

Even with the obvious hostility being directed at her, the professor’s attention was on the girl who had yet to move from her lounging position. She laid claim to all the space around her and only watched the professor with calm eyes. She appeared to be unconcerned with and completely unthreatened by this strange woman. The girl waved a hand at her friend. 

"Calm down Hermione. It's not unreasonable the she would know who I am." 

Suppressing her curiosity at this statement, McGonagall addressed the adults in the room, tearing her eyes away Kali with difficulty. “There is much to discuss. Would you mind if I have a seat?”

 The Grangers stopped chastising Hermione for her lack of manners and apologized for theirs. She felt eyes burning into her back as Kali and Hermione tracked her movements.

Sitting down, she faced the rest of the room. “I have a lot of information to impart and I have not the time to get into Kali’s tale today. It should be known, however, that the Wizarding World is well aware of you, Kali.”

She turned her eyes to the girl who had cocked her head slightly in curiosity. Hermione had not softened her stance but stiffened even further.

“You are famous, and known as the Girl-Who-Lived.” Minerva shifted in discomfort. She had never agreed with Dumbledore’s decision to leave the girl ignorant of her past before shunting her off to the Dursleys.

Oh how she raged at him when they found out just what caused the wards around to fall around the Dursley’s house. She felt physically sick when they had discovered what the girl had suffered under the care of those that shared her blood.

McGonagall, a war hardened veteran who fought against _Voldemort_ , could barely keep it together when she fought out that the wards around number 4 had not been powered not by _love _ but by the spillage of Kali’s blood on a regular basis.

Remus had almost shifted before the full moon when she had contacted him about the situation. Perhaps it was unwise, but he deserved to know. He was living in France, where the werewolf laws were relaxed and he was far away from the memories of his pack and the girl he was forbidden to raise. It had been a mighty blow when the ministry denied Remus’s appeal for custody and forbidden him from being within 10 miles of or attempting contact with her for the first 11 years of her life.

They had cursed Albus something fierce when he made the mere suggestion of erasing the situation and returning Kali to the Dursley’s. Thankfully, that convinced him to leave the disgusting muggle to the non-magical authorities and go about securing the home Kali was currently living in.

(And if they had both snuck off to get a little private revenge on the Dursleys, no one else had to know. And if she had let Severus in on the plan and he used a bit of the knowledge he had learned under Voldemort’s rule, well no one had to know that either)

“Years before you were born, the darkest wizard the Wizarding World has even seen rose in power. His name was Voldemort.” Minerva suppressed the urge to flinch. She would not let that name have any power over her, not anymore.

“Not much was known about him beyond his general appearance and his overwhelming power, it was like he had emerged from the shadows.”

Her thoughts brought to mind the image of those unnaturally long limbs, colored the sickly white of bones, and that serpentine face. To this day, she has nightmares of the slit nosed monster that destroyed her family, blood red eyes dispassionately staring as he began cutting them all down. That was the worst part, that he could feel nothing at all when he ripped them all away from her.

“The fear he generated was incredible. Soon, his name was avoided. Instead, he was referred to as You-Know-Who. He was exceedingly powerful and attracted followers in droves. He and his followers were blood purists, pure bloods, those who believed that only witches and wizards were to intermingle. Pure bloods are named so for the length of their lineage in the magical world. They completely despised those born without magic and discriminated heavily against muggleborns, those who come from parents that did not possess magic. That’s what you would be classified under Ms. Granger.”

She eyed the girl who was peering at her with unrestrained curiosity, practically vibrating with the need to ask questions. Suddenly she got a flash of a red headed girl with abnormally green eyes in the exact same position and she almost smiled.

Blinking the image away, she turned to the other girl in the room, who gazed at her with a peculiar look in her eyes.

“Half-bloods, those with one pureblood parent and one muggle or muggle born parent, were looked upon a bit more kindly. That is what you classify under Ms. Potter.”

The girl hummed and fiddled with the magazine in her hands. Then she spoke. Her voice was not as high as Minerva had expected, it was actually huskier than usual for a girl of her age.

For a brief moment, Minerva imagined what the girl would look and sound like in a few years and barely held back a grimace. The boys would be crazy for her, and Minerva could tell you from experience how frustrating it was trying to teach a difficult spell to boys distracted by their hormones and in front of an attractive girl.    

“Professor, you reverted back to last names. I thought we had passed that stage the moment you uttered my first with such _familiarity_.” There was an undertone of scorn in her voice that had Minerva reflexively narrowing her eyes.

She decided to ignore the girl and continue her tale. After this, she would need a stiff shot of whiskey, or maybe 2 shots, or maybe 10 shots, or maybe she’ll force Severus out of his cage and break out the firewhiskey while they traded insults. That was the best way to end a day like hers.

 “No one knows what truly happened that Samhain night. Voldemort chose to attack the Potters, killing them in the process. He attempted to kill Kali that night, but somehow the spell backfired and he was destroyed instead. Defeated by the one year old girl child he had come to kill.”  

Hermione relaxed as the story laid itself out and seemed deep in thought by the end of it. Minerva’s eyes drifted back to the petite girl staring back at her with calculating eyes. The force of her presence was something Minerva had not anticipated.

Even with how little she had seen of the girl, she was already nothing like the professor had thought she would be. Certainly she had inherited their looks, Lily’s emerald eyes and James’s dark hair. But she showed nothing of their mannerisms. She hadn’t shown Lily’s insatiable curiosity or James’s irrepressible good humor. In truth, she had not expected the girl to be so… _Slytherin._

Her eyes crossed the cover in the girl’s hands. Under large words proclaiming the magazine to be **Vogue Paris,** a girl was laid out on a bench covered by the pelt of a tiger. She was young, no more than 10, but dressed glamorously (and far too provocatively in Minerva’s view). Her dark hair was pinned up, drawing attention to her pouting face.

Captivating green eyes stared intensely from the cover, giving the view the impression that the child was looking directly at them, attention solely on their person. Bow shaped lips were colored a deep red, matching the color of the dress that draped sensuously from her body.

Diamonds draped from her ears, hung from her fingers, and wrapped around her wrist and ankle. Leopard print and red laced heels added extra length to the legs that curled over the girl.

Something itched at her memory. It took her eyes drifting back to the girl who smirked at her from where she sat to make the connection. Kali was the girl on the cover. Minerva suppressed the disapproving twitch of her eyebrow, though she felt she had been unsuccessful if only because the raven haired girls smirk widened.

Those green eyes watched her every move, like a predator examining its prey and it caused Minerva’s inner cat to raise its hackles in response.

Hermione sighed in exasperation, apparently at ease with the older woman’s presence now.

 “Kali, this has been going on long enough. Please, I’m actually begging you, please stop baiting the professor.”

The girl in question pouted at the brunette before turning a smile on Minerva that she recognized almost instantly. That mischievous grin that had gotten James get out of more trouble than she wanted to know about. Her aura was completely different from the force she had been emitting only moments before.

 “Sorry, professor. It’s a habit. Can’t help it. You were quite good at not reacting to me. I’m impressed.”

Minerva was not sure how to respond to the compliments the girl gave her beyond a curt nod. Kali had thrown her off balance with her 180 degree shift in personality.

The witch glanced over to the parents who were watching her and the girls interact. The Granger’s were calm, too calm. They had not reacted with the skepticism that was normal of muggle parents.

“Are you all right, Mr. and Mrs. Granger? You must have questions.”

Ms. Granger smiled at her.

“To be honest, we are just relieved that there is an explanation for the things Hermione can do. We’ve always known our little girl was special, but you’ve confirmed it. We were excited to learn of places where Hermione could learn to safely harness this power. ”

Minerva spared a small smile for the blushing student. “Yes, well there’s much to tell you.” She turned to Kali. “Ms. Potter, as with all children born later in the summer, your letter should arrive within a week of your birthday.” The girl smiled back warmly and nodded her head.  

She gave them the standard muggleborn spiel, detailing the subjects taught, the activities allowed, the location, where supplies could be purchased, all the basic details. She elaborated slightly when questions were asked. She startled slightly when Kali spoke, despite being aware of the girl’s presence at all times.

“Hogwarts is located in Scotland you say? How close is it to any major metropolis?”

The professor’s face wrinkled slightly in confusion. “Hogwarts is fairly isolated. Students have to ride the Hogwarts express and then approach the school by boat or carriage.”

She didn’t have a word to describe the face she received in response to her answer but disdainful fit well enough.*

Kali unfolded from her position. Placing her feet on the floor, she crossed her legs and laid laced fingers over her knee. Her posture and poise were perfect, beyond the standard expected of a pureblood heiress. Minerva had no idea where she had learned that but she was more than grateful.

She suspected the girl would be a snake and she would need those skills to survive in that cutthroat world.

“Professor, what would you have me do? I have a career and many obligations throughout the year. Though unusual, it would not be unprecedented for a student to have outside duties to attend to during the year, yes? How would Hogwarts handle a situation like this?”

Minerva, raising an eyebrow at the formal language the child used, was at a loss and she said so. “Students usually have no contact with the non-magical world beyond letters in the early stages of education. Occasionally, older students are allowed to leave the grounds to attend to familial duties in the magical world. Never had we had a student that had obligations in the muggle world.”

The girl’s eyes narrowed. “I would appreciate if we could come up with a solution. Hogwarts is an amazing opportunity that I would love to take advantage of. I am prepared to give up dancing competitively, though I will be unhappily doing so. I can dance anywhere. I will **not,** however, give up modeling when I’ve put in so much effort to get where I am now. If we are not able to come to some accord, I’m afraid I won’t be able to attend your fine establishment. ”

She could see the girl was immovable on the subject. Minerva gave a stiff nod though she would usually refuse any other student making such a request.

 “I will talk to the headmaster and contact you with more information at a later time.”

There was a lull in conversation and Minerva took that as a signal that it was time for her to leave.

She stood and cleared her throat. “I think I will be taking my leave now.” Ms. Granger stood up ready to escort her to the door, when Kali rose gracefully. “Please remain seated Ms. Eve, I’ll escort Professor McGonagall out.”

The woman hesitated before nodding her consent. Minerva said her goodbyes and was quickly escorted out. She couldn’t help but study the child in front of her.  

She was effortlessly graceful, posture poised and perfect. It wasn’t hard to believe the girl’s claims of being a dancer as all of her movements were composed and purposeful. She had also shown signs of being advanced at wordplay throughout the discussion. Her eyes were calculating and she remained unruffled throughout the whole encounter.

She would fit in well with the purebloods. It disappointed her slightly that the last remaining Potter would not be one of her lions but that didn’t mean they couldn’t develop a relationship.

If she came to Hogwarts at all. The girl’s tone had been firm when she had laid out her options and she clearly meant every word. She didn’t approve of bending the rules for one child, but she also couldn’t see Albus allowing the Girl-Who-Live to attend any other school but Hogwarts.

Minerva blinked out of her thoughts as Kali opened the door and stepped back with a pleasant smile.

“It was nice meeting you Professor. I would love to attend Hogwarts; I hope we are able to work something out.”

Minerva couldn’t help the small smile that twitched on her face in response. “As do I Ms. Potter, As do I. I will be in touch. ”

If Minerva had been looking when she disapparated away, she would have seen an innocently calculating expression alight the face of the 10 year old girl that held the fate of the Wizarding World in her hands. 


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...in which decisions are made and Kali encounters Lord Slytherin

Sarah listened patiently as Kali recounted her meeting with the Hogwarts representative. It was silent except for Sarah’s thoughtful hum. Kali remained silent as she knew better than to interrupt Sarah when she was thinking. 

This was the perfect opportunity to implement her plan. She was noticing that Kali was putting an intense amount of focus on her career. Sarah was honestly worried that Kali had been walking around with the gigantic misconception that maybe, just maybe, Sarah only kept her around because of her beauty and career. 

She could practically envision the long term consequences of allowing the girl to place a large amount of self-worth into how successful she was in the entertainment business, one of the most capricious and fickle industries in the world. Kali currently had a healthy self confidence in herself but she needed to nip this idea in the bud before it led Kali into a downward spiral. The blond leaned forward with a neutral expression, unsure of the girl’s reaction. 

“You want my honest opinion? You won’t like my suggestion.” 

The girl nodded. “I think you should take a break.”

“Excuse me?” A lost expression crosses Kali’s face. This had clearly thrown her off guard. Her usual masks were slipping. “What do you mean?”

“I mean that you should go to Hogwarts as a regular student and focus on school, in gaining control of your abilities.” The nearly 11 year old’s face twisted into a pained expression. 

“Why? I mean, I know I’ve hit a low period with only 3 shoots this month instead of the usual 5, and I came in second in that stupid solo competition,” she paused with a thoughtful look “though that one was fair because Lauryn’s solo was fantastic and I was a bit cocky. Anyway, I didn’t get offered as much for that interview but…I can get better. I know I can. I can practice longer, enter more competitions, something. I know how important it is to advance my career.” 

Sarah felt a deep sadness cloak her heart, despite the small smile lingering on her lips from the multiple tangents Kali wasn’t afraid to slip into when she was truly comfortable with the people around her, in the face of Kali’s rambling. She raised a hand to halt the flow of words. 

“This is what I mean. You’re so focused on building a sustainable career that you’re missing out on your childhood."

She opened her arms and scooped the girl into them. Kali went willingly but she still looked confused, and if you looked deeply, a little hurt. At this moment, Kali had fully dropped her masks and allowed herself to expose her vulnerability. For once, she was acting her age. She was the 10 year old girl who took her guardians suggestion as one that said she still wasn’t good enough. Sarah, knowing just how high the girl’s walls extended, was incredibly honored to witness it. 

“You’re just turning 11 and you already have a significant amount of wealth to your name all because of your own talents. You have to know how amazing that is.” Kali nodded, a bit more secure now. “You’ve become a celebrity in your own right, you’ve met the Queen, you’ve danced on national TV, and you’ve done more in four years than some do in a lifetime. Look at me.” 

Evergreen eyes locked on to Sarah’s on her command. Her eyes were soft, filled with the love the blonde had for Kali. The girl’s eyes reflected that love back at her even though the girl, as eloquent and precocious as she was, could still not verbally express it. (She couldn’t help but want to murder the Dursley’s more and more each day when she observed the long lasting effects life in their household had on Kali to this present day). 

“I don’t care about furthering your career. You’ve done so much already. I want you to live a happy life. You’re still so young. I want you to enjoy life, not worry about your career.” Kali, eyes vicuna soft, said, “My career does make me happy. I like being recognized for doing things well after I’ve put a lot of hard work into it.” 

Sarah smiled, hugging the girl just a bit tighter. “Look at it this way. Taking a break leaves more time for magic. If you want to be recognized, focus on working on your grasp of magic. Do your best to study and integrate yourself into this new world you’re entering. Besides, you’re not totally quitting show business if you don’t want to. You can always resume your career during summer break. Just continue to hone your talents while you are at school.” 

Kali thought about it for a short moment before nodding, evidently satisfied with Sarah’s suggestions and filled with a new sense of determination. She brightened a second later as an idea hit her.  
“But Sarah, what if I don’t have to stop modeling? I’m sure they have magazine like publications in the Wizarding World and those publications must use models. This could be a whole new opportunity to explore gaining some wealth within this new culture without missing out on something I love doing. “ 

Sarah’s face grew contemplative. Her idea had merit. It would allow her to learn how to navigate this new environment she was being place in with some comfort. Sarah inwardly grimaced. She wanted Kali to take a break from the entertainment industry but she also couldn’t say no to Kali when she knew that this was something she loved doing and she would have the chance to. She dropped her train of thought. She needed more information before she could make a decision. 

“That is not a bad idea. I’ll certainly ask Ms. McGonagall for more information about it. How about giving this year a trial run before jumping into the wizarding industry, huh?” 

Kali gave Sarah a tight hug with a slight smile, nodded, then slid off the blonde’s lap, serene mask back into place. “I’ll inform the professor of the change in my wishes when we meet with her in Diagon Alley. Now, I’m going to go practice in the dance room. Call me if you need me.” 

Sarah watched the girl go, relieved that it had gone so well. Though she had been fairly reasonable this instance, sometimes Kali could be stubborn and refuse to change her decision no matter what it would be. The dark haired girl had developed a problem with authority along the way. She didn’t always obey Sarah, though she obeyed her more than anyone else. In the end, she knew it was all a matter of trust, and she was happy that the dark haired girl trusted her more than anyone. 

*****Femme Fatale*****

Lauryn let out a huge breathe as she finally left the stage. She had done it. She had participated in her first major dance competition. She breathed in and out at a steady pace to keep herself calm as she met her family. Her brother was the first to hug her. “You did so great, Ryn. You have this competition in the bag!” 

She felt all her anxiety leave as she was surrounded by supporting family members. Her little bubble of familiarity was broken by a voice with a posh accent that called out to her. 

“Hey, you’re Lauryn Thomas right?” 

She turned to face the newcomer and froze. Standing in front of her was Kali Potter with a warm smile. Ms. Potter was a well-known figure in the dancing world and was recognized as somewhat of a dance prodigy. She had entered the world of major dance competitions at 8 after only a comparatively small amount of serious training with sporadic training in school before that and had won 2nd overall in the Little Miss Star competition followed by first in the Jr. Miss Showstopper competition. She then gained national attention through the Live to Dance television show when she beat many dancers with years of experience over her and won. She continued to sweep through the dancing world and win many more awards.

However, her professional history was not what made Lauryn freeze on sight. It was the reports on her personality and attitude. They ranged from her being the sweetest girl in the world to the coldest, creepiest, most vindictive bitch some girls have ever met. The information was not very reliable as positive reports often came from people clearly enamored with the young girl and negative reports often came from girls known to be jealous and catty. Lauryn was afraid to see what girl she would encounter, especially with winning the last competition they were both in.

It also didn’t help that she was not a very social person, in fact she was downright awkward in the presence of other human beings, and pretty social butterflies as Kali was known to be did not tend to take notice of her unless they wanted to make fun of her. It was only when Dean elbowed her in the ribs did she realize how long they had been waiting in silence. Fortunately, Kali only looked amused with the awkward girl and not disgusted. 

“Yes that’s me.” She finally said. 

The girl’s smile widened a fraction. “Sorry to interrupt such a beautiful moment, but I wanted to say congratulations on winning the Little Miss Diva competition and to commend you for the performance today. You have a real chance of winning this entire competition.” 

Lauryn didn’t know what to say. This was the girl who had inspired her to become serious in her dance training after her performance on Live to Dance and she was complimenting Lauryn on her technique. “Thank you so much.” 

She saw turn her sight to someone else and give them an appraising glance. Turning slightly to see what she was looking at, she discovered Dean practically ogling Kali, though his eyebrow was furrowed in thought. Lauryn turned away from him in embarrassment. Dean, being a year younger than her, had just discovered girls as somewhat of an early bloomer. Though, she couldn’t blame him for looking. The other girl looked radiant. It was not hard to see why she would be popular in the modeling world.

Her mass of long black locks curls were pinned elegantly atop her head. She was not wearing a lot of makeup, only enough to emphasize her eyes and red lipstick that emphasized the fullness of her lips. Her deep red costume was very free and somewhat exposing, catered to draw attention to the movements of her body. She wore fitted spandex dancing shorts and a bejeweled bustier like top that provided a little more coverage. Blood red fabric draped from her and flowed down her back, only attached again by a chain wrapped around her waist. It created a winged effect. 

A tall gorgeous blonde woman came up behind the girl and laid a hand on her shoulder. She smiled at the family in greeting before looking to the black haired girl. “They’re ready for you Kali. Time to get going.” 

Kali nodded before giving the family one more smile. “Well, it’s my turn. It was nice meeting you.” 

“Same to you!” Lauryn managed to squeeze out. She waited until the other girl was out of sight to punch her brother in the shoulder, in reaction to which he let out an indignant sound. 

"Stop ogling!" She hissed at him. He glared right back. "I wasn't! Yeah she's pretty but her name sounds really familiar for some reason. I was trying to place where I had heard it recently!" 

Lauryn calmed down quickly and waved a dismissive hand with an apologetic expression. "Sorry about that. You probably just heard me or someone else here mention it in passing." 

Dean didn't look as sure but he shrugged. "Yeah, maybe." 

Kali was brought on to stage just as the Thomas family managed to settle into their seats in the pavilion. This. This was what she had been waiting for. She watched as Kali roller herself ever so gently from her lying position on the same as delicate music began to play and a smooth voice crooned over the audience. 

Kali’s movements were a thing of beauty. Emotion was evident in every minuscule twitch of her limbs. The bend and flexibility of her body was something to be envious of as Lauryn watched the girl glide and twirl and leap smoothly around the stage, wings flaring behind her. The story she told with her body was one of sorrow and loneliness and fear, but also of protection and love and inner strength. It was one that depicted how the love of someone special could bring someone from the pits of the earths to the tops of the mountains. 

Lauryn blinked back tears. This brought her back to the first dance that had brought real tears to her eyes and rekindled her love for dance. Kali’s finale performance in Live to Dance. Her ability to express so many emotions without ever saying a word and touch so many hearts is what inspired her to become serious with her dance training. She wanted to be able to do the same. She wanted people to feel as they watched her dance. Lauryn exploded into applause as Kali watched off the stage. She was not surprised when Kali won first overall that year.

*****Femme Fatale*****

As soon as she saw Kali lounging on the hood of Sarah’s car while she awaited the arrival of the Grangers, eyes glinting catlike in the sunlight, she knew Kali was in one of those moods. She would have to tread carefully. The raven haired girl was dangerous in this state and no one, not even Hermione and Sarah, was safe from her rage. Of course, Kali just had to enter one of her dark periods when they were going to Diagon Alley. 

She cursed inwardly, knowing she would have to run interference between Kali and everyone else today. There was no timing to these low periods and both Hermione and Sarah had learned from experience that, in most cases, it was best to just shut her away from the world for as long as the dark mode would last. This time was not one of those. No one’s schedule would allow for them to go as a group to the Alley on any other day. 

Kali was generally a lovable person but she was unpredictable in this state. Prickly and often prone to violence.Everything about her screamed predator. Every look, every touch, every word was meant to attract you until you were right where she wanted you. Kali would forgive no mistakes, and would attempt to rip you to shreds for even the smallest slights. In this form, she had few restraints and a twisted moral code. 

Hermione and Sarah didn’t suffer as much as anyone else when they slipped up, just a few biting remarks that were guaranteed to wound and harmless punishments that were essentially mean pranks. 

Others, however, were at a much greater risk. They had learnt that the hard way. When Sarah was still finding ways to interact with “Dark Kali” as the persona was nicknamed, she was allowed to go to school as normal. A girl named Jane continuously tried to bully Hermione, even though the bushy haired brunette usually paid her no mind. 

That day however, Kali had no tolerance for idiots and made sure to punish her swiftly. As school let out, Jane had brushed past Kali and Hermione, shoving the other girl as she left. Kali stopped talking and stiffened. It was only a second but Hermione saw a peculiar look when Kali met her eyes. A shiver crept down her spine, she could tell something bad had occurred. 

A second later, she was following Kali out of the door. The other girl was barely responding to Hermione and her attempts at distracting conversation, only enough for her to appear to be in a conversation at all. She only stared intensely at Jane’s back, a darkness lurking in the back of those verdant eyes. When it happened, the brunette knew who had caused it. Jane had paused at the top of the steps to respond to some statement directed to her but the next thing anyone saw was her tumbling down the stairs. Though she had no proof, she knew Kali was the culprit. 

Before she met Kali, she would have rationalized the odd event away as an accident. These days, she was well aware that sometimes things happened that had no rational explanation. It had been a hard lesson to learn but learn it she did. She immediately dragged the other girl away from the scene of the crime and confronted her. Kali hadn’t tried to deny her involvement, hadn’t tried to insult Hermione’s instincts or her intelligence; she only sneered. 

“You may suffer fools lightly, Hermione, but I will not tolerate such behavior. Let her push you around if you’d like but I will not see it happen in my presence.” She gave Hermione a measured look of such disdain that the girl automatically curled in a little bit to shied herself from the judgment in that stare. The brunette had only known Kali to give those looks to people she considered completely unworthy of her time. 

A heavy aura pressed down on Hermione’s body and something within her reacted to it. A surge ran through her body and she jerked in response to the unexpected sensation. The pressure lightened until it was barely noticeable. Kali tilted her head and gave a poisoningly sweet smile as she stepped closer, the effects of which was only ruined by the interested glint in her eyes. 

“Why are you asking Mione? You wouldn’t tell on me right?” 

The pressure was not only back but even heavier than it was before. She felt the first slivers of fear as she slowly shook her head no. “That’s what I thought. It’s not like you’d have any proof anyway. Who would believe you?”

Kali gave a satisfied smirk before she glanced at the clock.“I really must be going my dear. Sarah is waiting on me. See you tomorrow.” 

Hermione stayed frozen as Kali turned and was gone in a flash of messy black curls, taking the strange pressure with her. She couldn’t help but feel intimidated. For the slightest moment, she was sure that Kali would not have hesitated to hurt her. It was the first time she was aware that something had turned dark and cold within her friend long ago and it had never been fixed. 

She had debated on what to do all night. Her first reaction was to cut all ties with Kali. But Hermione was nothing if not loyal, and she couldn’t bring herself to do that. (In the back of her mind dwelled the fear of being completely alone again if she left Kali but she ignored that.) She couldn’t help but wonder about the implied reasoning for Kali’s attack. The realization came with a sense of wonder.

She was protecting me. 

Unbidden, all the other little things Kali had done to show she cared about Hermione rose in her mind. She was conflicted. No one else besides her parents had cared enough about her to do the things Kali had done. How could she abandon Kali, her first friend, when she knew she was one of the only people the girl believed she could trust? She couldn’t betray the faith that had been placed in her.  
Besides, she rationalized, Kali hadn’t done anything to hurt her. She had just done what Hermione wasn’t willing to do. So she would stand by her friend regardless of what she did. 

She knew she had made the right decision when she saw Kali’s eyes well with relief and gratitude the next day when she made conversation with the girl as if nothing had occurred between them.

Still, even when she couldn’t deny that something wasn’t quite right about her friend, the only thing that mattered was that Kali was her friend. So she would suffer through any mean comments she heard in this state because she knew Kali couldn’t help taking out her aggression on whoever was available and she would never seriously hurt Hermione. 

And she knew Kali was getting better, gaining more control. She could hold back comments, or temper them if she couldn’t. It was all getting better. However, it seemed as if the introduction of wizards into her life had acted as a huge setback. By the look on Kali’s face, she wanted someone to hurt and she wasn’t too picky about who it was. The granger’s approached the girl who watched them with a disinterested gaze. Hermione knew her parents could sense something was different about her friend, and whatever it was made them feel subconsciously wary.

Tension hung thick in the air as Kali stared her friend’s parents down before releasing them from her gaze. She turned her attentions toward Hermione and, as if she smelled the other girl’s apprehension, smiled. There was nothing nice about it. She only spared Eve and Brad a quick glance as she addressed them, perfectly polite if a little more distant and less friendly than usual. 

“Sarah will be with us soon, she’s finishing one last piece of business. It won’t be more than a few more minutes. Would you like to have a seat inside?” Eve, who had yet to turn her suspicious gaze away from the girl, shook her head. 

“No, thank you. We’re fine here.” 

Kali gave them a practiced smile. “Well, if you’re sure.” 

She glided over to Hermione, who gave her an unimpressed look even as trepidation seized her heart. Kali smirked, trailing a path of warmth up her arm with her fingers before wrapping one arm over her shoulders. 

“Aww,” she purred into her ear, “don’t look so worried Hermione. I promise to be on my very best behavior.” 

Hermione turned slightly so that she could glare at Kali properly. “You’d better. I’m not in the mood to run interference today.” The tone of Kali’s words were mocking but she knew that her friend truly meant it because she had said it more than once. “Anything for my precious ‘Mione.”

The sound of a door closing grabbed everyone’s attention. It seemed as if Sarah was finally ready. The blonde came out of the house with a perky grin that didn’t fit the slightly tense situation she had walked into. 

“Alright guys, let’s go!” 

*****Femme Fatale*****

Severus Snape was not a nice man.

He was well aware of the fact and even proud of it. So when he was blackmailed into going along with the Gryffindor head of house to escort the daughter of his greatest enemy and the love of his life, he promised to hold nothing back. Dumbledore would regret setting Severus loose on his precious golden girl. 

Severus brooded in the booth he and McGonagall shared at the Leaky Cauldron while they waited on that spoiled brat to make her way to the meeting place. Though he appeared to be absorbed in his thoughts, he was very attentive to his surroundings. He knew exactly when the girl showed up. He looked up to a see a group of people, three adults and two young girls approach the booth. 

His eyes glanced over the adults, (muggles they seemed to be based on their apologies to McGonagall), over the brunette who looked to be suppressing a million questions, (a know it all that one would be), and locked on to eyes as green as his beloved Lily. There she was. The girl-who-lived and the last remaining piece of his love.

At first he was struck by her resemblance to Lily. The same shade of green eyes, the same full lips, even the same nose. He felt a twinge of curiosity when he didn’t see the ever famous scar displayed on her forehead, though he refused to give into the urge. Her appearance was flawless, not a curl out of place as the long black mix of curls and waves flowed around her. Nothing like Lily, whose red hair was pin straight but often messy. Those dark curls came directly from Potter, along with that squared jaw. Everything about Lily had been delicate and beautiful. 

He regained his control as Minerva introduced him to the group and he scowled sourly in greeting.He had only slipped for a second, but when he looked down into gleaming green eyes he knew at least one person had caught it and that one person would not hesitate to take advantage of it. Those eyes were the biggest difference. Lily had held joy in her eyes, whereas he could only find darkness staring back at him from the eyes staring him down while their owner smiled politely with a sweet smile as she greeted the professors.

He could tell that this girl would be one of his snakes and he resented her even more for living where his headstrong lion did not. 

“Hello Professor Snape. We apologize for the wait.” The girl said to him, perfectly respectful. 

Acerbic words leapt past his lips while his eyes narrowed and sent a message to the young snake. His eyes told her “I see the real you, beyond that polite mask. I’ll be watching.” 

The slow curl of her lips and the sharp flash of teeth that would appear to be a smile to anyone watching replied that “He had seen nothing beyond what she wanted him to see and that he would not have the opportunity to see more.”

The message her body language sent him told him his words were a mistake. One he would learn from and never give the little chit such an opening again. It appeared that he was still off balance from how much she both resembled and differed from his Gryffindor. He spat out vicious words on reflex but forgot to factor in the adult presence around her. He knew the next move she made would put her in a good light and make him look the fool. It was exactly what happened. 

“Arrogant just like your father. Why would I have expected any better from you? I have more important things to do than wait on a preteen girl. If we could quickly begin this excursion so that I can conclude my other business, I would be ecstatic.” 

Everyone looked taken aback at his statement, the first thing he had said since meeting them. The blonde looked the most indignant and opened her mouth to angrily retort, but was stopped by a delicate hand laying on her arm and a glance of calm green eyes. He knew from the dark sparkle in her eyes that she was aware of the opportunity she had and was more than happy to make use of it to make him look like a sad sad man for daring to challenge her even the slightest bit. 

From the outside, her eyes were soft and pitying, but Severus saw the satisfaction hidden deep within. 

“With all due respect professor, my parents are dead and have been since I was a toddler. I don’t know what grudge you’ve been holding against them but I would suggest letting it go. I have never truly known my parents, therefore I am unlikely to pick up certain traits from them. Arrogance, for example, being one of them. Hopefully, we can get pass this. I would like to have at the very least a working professional relationship with all of my professors if we cannot have a good one.” 

Severus glared and opened his mouth to respond but shut it at the dangerous glare he was receiving from the feline professor. He could feel eyes in the bar taking interest in their confrontation and he would hate for the girl to receive some notice from her adoring fans, attention that she would no doubt enjoy and manipulate to her own benefit. 

With a disgusted glance and a violent flare of his robe, he led the way to the entrance to Diagon Alley while Minerva apologized to the group behind him. 

If that arrogant little chit thought she had won, she would be sadly mistaken. Rage clouded Severus’s thoughts. Soon she would be under his control at Hogwarts and she would find out what the punishment was for not heeding his warnings.She was going somewhere dark fast and he would not allow her to defile his memory of Lily with her actions. 

*****Femme Fatale*****

It was one of those days. 

It had happened for as long as she could remember. The Dursley’s were well aware that she was a lot more dangerous in this state after she got sick of Dudley’s teasing one day and broke his nose. Fearful of her remorseless and unafraid responses, they would lock her away as long as they dark periods lasted.  
She would always be severely punished when they let her out again. 

During those days, she was vicious and arrogant, passionate but also remorseless. She either felt the absence of some emotion altogether, like guilt, or felt it more intensely than ever, like hatred.  
She loved the control she had during these periods and she rejoiced in the Dursley’s fear. However, that fear wasn’t so enjoyable when it came to people like Sarah and Hermione. 

Truth be told, she felt like another person was influencing her during these moods and she had no way to fight against it because she had never had reason to. She was not herself in these moods. In fact, she felt like a different person altogether. She was cold but never guiltless. She could be ruthless but she was never unnecessarily violent. Whenever she came out of these moods, she felt like the worst person alive in regards to her behavior toward Sarah and Hermione. It was why she had begun to work on reining herself in during these periods and she was making good progress until now. 

She felt more out of control than she had in a long time. Everything grated on her nerves, especially that slimy git that had dared to try and restrict her. She received deep satisfaction at exposing him for the petty little man that he was. She didn’t care that he had a grudge against her parents. She respected their sacrifice but she had never known them and she never would. So it was completely unprofessional and childish for him to transfer his problems with them on to her. She was disgusted with his behavior.

She resisted the urge to glare at him and returned her attentions to the conversation around her while taking in the fanciful sights. It was straight out of some sort of fantasy novel. Men and woman walked around in robes. Children carried owl, owls in daylight, around in cages while cooing at them. Broom, as in flying brooms, were displayed in one shops window while another advertised “top quality cauldrons”. 

“First things first, I must take you to the bank. The granger’s may exchange pounds for gallons and sickles. You however Ms. Potter, your family has left you quite a bit of money and if you wish it, a goblin may escort you to your vault. I’m not sure how much the Potter vaults currently contain but as a Most Ancient and Noble family, I expect it to be at least enough for both you and your future children to never have to work a day in your lives.”

A slow smile stretched over her face as she thought of the implications of that wealth as she exchanged a glance with the adult blonde walking next to her.Sarah had recently begun to teach her how to manage the wealth she had in the muggle world, and it was a long, boring, but prosperous venture. She idly wondered if the Wizarding World had investments. 

“However,” McGonagall continued her advice with a warning,” the goblins are a proud race and do not take kindly to disrespect.”

A gleaming gold building curved majestically above them as they approached them. They walked up the clean white stairs and walked through burnished bronze doors. She eyed the short creatures fiercely armed and guarding the door with both respect and trepidation. They were not the most attractive things she had ever seen, ugly in fact, but they must have been powerful to control the Wizarding World’s money and she could respect that. 

They walked through an entrance hall and approached silver doors with a strange rhyme engraved into it. 

Enter, stranger, but take heed  
Of what awaits the sin of greed  
For those who take, but do not earn,  
Must pay most dearly in their turn.  
So if you seek beneath our floors  
A treasure that was never yours,  
Thief, you have been warned, beware  
Of finding more than treasure there.

Kali read the short passage with an eyebrow raised and a small smile. Ruthless they were. She liked it. Passing more guards, they entered a large marble hall with counters lining the walls. More of the goblin creatures were behind the counters. Kali and Sarah approached one. Sarah hung back as she had started to just supervise Kali’s bank dealings instead of dictating them as part of the money management training.The goblin gave them one disinterested glance before going back to counting money. Kali stiffened at the casual dismissive. She pulled a polite smile on her face as she spoke to the teller. 

“Excuse me.” The goblin rose a hand to its throat and looked up, startled. (If she had reached out with her energy and squeezed a little? Well, that was a little detail no one else had to know.) 

Once she had the goblin’s attention, she slid the vault key the professor had given her across the counter. 

“I’d like to visit my vaults please.” 

The goblin glared balefully at her as it went through the vault key security processes. Kali however paid the disrespectful little troll no attention. All of her focus was on one of the most gorgeous men she had ever seen.

He appeared to be in his mid- to late twenties, early thirties being a stretch. He was tall, around an imposing 6’3. His face was masculine and chiseled with classic aristocratic features. A groomed five o’clock shadow gave him a darker and gruffer but still incredibly attractive appearance.Thin but artfully shaped lips moved as he spoke to a goblin in a deep, smooth voice. There was a seductive quality to his voice that was rare, and never as prominent as in his voice. He was clearly fit, shown by the slightly unbuttoned white dress shirt, healthy peach colored skin peeking through, and comfortable black dress pants that clung to muscles exposed by his open robes. As well as wealthy, judging from the quality of the clothes he wore. 

But it was not his appearance that caught her eye. It was his presence. 

Something about him made it impossible to draw her eyes away. She felt a pull to him that she didn’t understand. She needed to know just what it was about him that attracted her attention so strongly. Deciding to forego her second sight, since it was an ability she was still not very strong with, she reached out and touched him with her energy. 

As soon as their energies collided, her world was rocked. She couldn’t resist shuddering as she closed her eyes and thoroughly enjoyed the heady rush many times more powerful than anything she had ever felt before that flowed through her body. The smell of vanilla and sandalwood filled her nose even as the taste of blood and chocolate stroked her taste buds. 

She swayed drunkenly on her feet before she could work up the energy to gain control of her reaction. She almost wanted to turn her second sight on and look regardless on the consequences, but she could not afford to pass out right now. Withdrawing her energy, she slowly opened her eyes to see an impassive face and deep indigo eyes glinting with interest staring back at her. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from his face. 

Kali was jolted back into reality as Sarah called her name. 

“Kali!” 

She turned, shaking her head and regaining the control she had lost. 

“Yes Sarah?” 

The blonde gave her a concerned look, even as the sour man scowled at them from his position beside the professor she could actually respect. 

“Are you okay? That’s the third time I’ve called your name.” She nodded. “Yes, I’m fine. I was just distracted for a bit.” 

She resisted the urge to look back at the man behind her, even as she felt eyes burning into her back as they walked away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: The dance referenced below is called “Lonely” and was performed by the fabulous Ms. Hayden Hopkins. Enjoy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7ZDXxwNvAI&list=PLvlP5UrQWKrmzy3TX7ZuZ4TSUBWQp5F-J&index=89


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...in which Kali meets Draco Malfoy and plays a little game

Kali exited the bank in a very contemplative mood. The visit had been thought-provoking. She had found out that she was the heiress to an almost absurd amount of wealth after requesting a private meeting about the state of her accounts. Though only the direct heir to the ancient Potter and Black fortunes, she had been left the vaults of many other small pureblood families that had been wiped out in the war.

Bluntly, she was informed that though her age prevented her from claiming Lordship of these families at that present moment, she was only allowed to claim these houses at all because she was the last of the line. Most families were strictly patriarchal even in the event of the remaining family member being a female. Yet, the Potters were more liberal than most and Sirius Black was an oddity.

She was not amused with the archaic state of affairs within the Wizarding government but was more surprised to find out how she had been put in line for the Black fortune. Apparently, she had a godfather, the aforementioned Sirius Black! One who had performed some sort of ritual that had allowed them to be connected by blood, at least closely enough for her to claim the house over the rest of his living relatives. However, when she asked about his whereabouts, she had been informed that he was in the Wizarding equivalent of Alcatraz for his involvement in the death of her parents.

She had struggled to keep a blank face as she tried to keep a lid on her rage. The goblin, far more respectful than the first one she had met, could not tell her the full story as goblins were fairly uninterested in the affairs of the Wizarding world when it did not affect them or their money.

Instead, she had demanded to see the records of the court proceedings to get a detailed description of his crimes, only to be informed that there was **no trial** given at all. That calmed her as the nagging feeling she had gotten at the start of the conversation made more sense to her when she was not blinded by anger.

Something was not right here, and Kali hated to be in the dark about anything. An imprisonment with no trial smelled strongly of corruption. Call her sentimental if you wished, but she wanted to give her supposed godfather the benefit of the doubt as the last connection she had to the two people who died so that she may live.

She felt she owed her parents at least this. If she could get Black out of false imprisonment then she would. First, however, she needed to find out more about this “Azkaban” and visit the man her parents had called friend. She would determine for herself whether she believed the man to be innocent, and if she believed him to be falsely accused, she would do everything in her power to see him released. According to McGonagall, her title of “Girl-Who-Lived” came with quite a bit of clout and she was prepared to utilize every drop of it to achieve what she wanted.

Despite the emotional upheaval the revealed connection to her parents was, in the end, the most interesting event was still the effect of the man in the bank’s presence on her mood. The dark and angry cloud she had been carrying around had calmed with the occurrence of “first contact” as she called it.

When their magic had touched, more than anything a feeling of contentment had drawn her attention. She felt as if she were one, as if she were whole, for the first time in her life. It was as if the gaping hole that she could always feel but never see had finally closed. The relaxed feeling had disappeared when she had pulled back and she instantly craved more of it. That more than anything had made her suspicious and resentful.

He was addictive and addictive things held all the power over the things addicted to them. Kali would never again allow someone that amount of power over her life and she despised anyone that tried to tame her more than she allowed.

Just watching him, she could tell that he was a man used to commanding attention and dominating everything and everyone around him. He was used to people obeying his every command and hanging on to his every word. If he and Kali ever crossed paths again, he would surely be in for a rude awakening. She was no one’s sycophant and she would bend her neck to no living being.

She was startled out of her increasingly dark thoughts by Sarah’s voice calling out to her. “Kali dear! We have to go to the robe shop! Hurry!” 

Shaking the thoughts from her head, she merely resolved to enjoy the end of the unusually short lived apathetic mood she experienced and caught up to the rest of her group.

 

**_*****Femme Fatale*****_ **

 

Draco noticed her as soon as she walked into his vicinity. It was hard not to. She drew all the attention in the room to her as naturally as she breathed. Madame Malkin greeted her warmly, a lot warmer than she had greeted him he noticed sourly, and she responded in kind, sending the woman a charming lopsided grin. Malkin led her to the stool across from him and he took the opportunity to study the girl closer. 

She was certainly striking. Her beauty was the first thing that had captured his attention. Though not completely what one could call a classic beauty, she possessed enough aristocratic features that he could rightly assume she was not one of those mudbloods. The girl had perfect poise and spectacular grace that he had only seen in girls who had years of etiquette training and excelled in those areas of a pureblood lady’s education.

She was dressed scandalously in muggle clothing, wearing a spaghetti strapped sundress that billowed out from the top of the rib cage and stopped only a little longer than midthigh. Since even the shortest of robes and skirts stopped at the knee, a length only the more daring girls tried, showing that much leg was paramount to being half naked.

It did not bode well for her morality but respect and proper dress could be learned. With some work, she could emerge a possible candidate for the position of Lady Malfoy, instead of Pansy Parkinson.  He did not want his future wife to be more powerful than he was, as remote as the possibility was, but the girl across from him was so delicate that she couldn’t possibly have much power contained in such a small package.

Before he could suggest that his father even think about such a proposition, he needed to talk to her and find out what family she was from. He had never seen her at any of the balls or events but she could have recently returned to the area for school or she may have been a pureblood from one of the more obscure lines. Looking at her, disregarding her clothing, he could not believe that she was anything less than a pureblood.

He noticed the girl’s tiny smile fade away as she studied the drab black robes that was being pinned to the right length for her.

“Excuse me, madam?” Her voice was a little deeper than what was usual for a girl, and he could notice no accent.

“Yes dear?” Madame Malkin asked kindly. The girl’s voice was polite but firm when she stated her request to the seamstress.

“I would appreciate if you could make these robe a bit more formfitting. They seem to be quite loose and I am not entirely comfortable with that.” Malkin frowned.

He jolted, his attention diverted even as the pair continued discussing the design of the girl’s uniform, as the assistant pricked him with a pin. He glared at the older girl and sneered. “Be careful!” He could see the girl struggling not to respond but she eventually remembered her place and stayed silent. 

He looked up to see Madame Malkin pinning the waist of the girl’s robes tighter and tucking in some of the fabric around the bust. He barely resisted the urge to physically startle when he noticed exquisite green eyes peering into his own. Their owner appeared to be entirely unconcerned with being examined so closely. The girl only rose an eyebrow before sending him a cute smile and a commiserating look.

A small chuckle escaped him. Though clearly not possessing the personality of a Slytherin, the girl was amusing. Draco cleared his throat.

“Hogwarts, too?” The girl smiled pleasantly at him and responded positively. He put on his most impressive voice, an imitation of his father’s drawling tone. He ignored Madame Malkin and the assistant returning to the front for a few minutes.  

“My mother is examining Ollivander’s wands and my father is off buying my books.  When they return, I’ll drag them off to look at racing brooms.”

A secret smile crossed the girl’s lips, as if she were laughing at an inside joke that he just wouldn’t understand. “Oh my, racing brooms. So interesting.” He couldn’t tell if she was serious or if she was just mocking him so he ignored it.

“Do you play quidditch?”

She raised a slim eyebrow. “Do you?”

 He scoffed. “Of course! Father says it would be a crime if I didn’t make it on the Slytherin house team. Do you know what house you’d like to be in yet?”

She made a thoughtful noise as she turned back to examine herself in a mirror. “I’m not quite sure yet.”

“That’s alright. No one really knows until they get there but my whole family has been in Slytherin so that’s where I will also be sorted. Just imagine how horrible it would be to be sorted into Hufflepuff!” Draco laughed snidely but tapered off as he noticed the girl did not laugh with him.

Instead she leaned in a bit, eyes glittering dangerously, and whispered to him as if they were conspirators in a top secret plan. “But with a name like Hufflepuff, so sugary sweet, just imagine what you could do. You would have free reign and no one would ever suspect you. No one ever lays blame on the Hufflepuff. It would be the greatest con of all.”

Draco froze as he really thought about the idea. It was brilliant! It was true that no one would ever suspect those students because they were generally weak and unremarkable. He opened his mouth to respond but a bushy haired brunette interrupted the pair and narrowly avoided crashing into Draco.  

 He however lost his balance and tripped off the stool. His skin immediately blushed red with rage. How dare the little mudblood push past him so rudely! She had been gibbering a mile a minute – “Kali, are you done yet! We have to move along and I don’t want to leave them out there that long with all that we’ve heard from the professor but magical society is just so fascinating! How are we…” – but now she stood still and covered her mouth with her hands, gaping in horror.

She scrambled over to help him up but he slapped her hand away, missing the green eyes that flashed at the aggressive movement. “ Don’t touch me! I can tell exactly what sort you are. With that ugliness, that clumsiness, and that constant babbling, you must be a muggleborn.” The room temperature dropped severely after his insults but looking around, he could see no cause and assumed it to be his imagination.

He smoothed his robes and picked up his stool, standing it upright. As he turned away, he muttered under his breath, “Stupid mudbloods. Such a useless bunch.” He was shocked into taking a few steps back when he turned to find the dark haired girl glaring down at him with venomous green eyes. He hadn’t even heard her move.  

She stood still and looked at him, a mask of contempt so unbreakable it looked as if it had been carved from marble, and the potential for violence hung so thickly in the small slice of air between them that he couldn’t help cowering in fear, even as he derided himself for it. 

The moment was broken as Madame Malkin bumbled obliviously into the room with steady stream of chatter. “Okay dear! Your purchases are ready at the front! You only have to wait a few more moments Mr. Malfoy.”  She paused as she finally noticed the tension in the room. “Is something the matter?”

The girl’s expression broke and she dredged up another one of those charming grins. “No madam. We were merely saying goodbye to Mr. Malfoy. Isn’t that right?”

The older woman turned to him for confirmation and he couldn’t help but say yes. He watched the girl leave with revenge in his eyes. She could forget about being the future Lady Malfoy. She had humiliated him and she would regret it. No one crossed a Malfoy and escaped unscathed.  

 

**_*****Femme Fatale*****_ **

When she had first encountered the blonde brat that Draco Malfoy have proved himself to be, she had been intrigued. He was whiny and boastful but she recognized a special potential to be great. Wanting to find out more about him, she had put up her usual sociable, cheerful, and very pleasant persona – one she had perfected during her time in show business – until she had witnessed how he treated her best friend.

He was dismissive and scornful, and he called her that awful word. Kali wasn’t sure what “mudblood” meant but the contemptuous tone of his voice told her that it was something insulting while the way he whispered it told her that it was a word generally banned from use in society.

That kind of attitude was unacceptable. Who was this pathetic little creature? He was not worth the dirt beneath Hermione’s feet! How dare he be so rude! It inflamed her temper but instead of going totally on the offense, she dropped her genial mask to give him the glimpse of the face she reserved for her enemies as a warning. He had been appropriately weary then.

Now, staring in the eyes of the tall blonde man stubbornly standing in front of her, she could tell exactly where the boy had gotten his manners.

The man in front of her was undoubtedly an aristocrat and he had both the elegance and egotism to prove it. She ignored the existence of the man from the bank, who had been walking with the family, beyond a glance that seemed to be only mildly interested.

He had already cost her some of her hard won control and losing that control was just not something she could afford to do in the face of possible enemies. Especially when the man was obviously well- acquainted with those enemies.

She ignored the intense and unreadable look he leveled her with as she crawled her gaze over the Malfoy patriarch’s proud form. Blond with sharp blue gray eyes, tall, and handsome, he cut a striking figure though it paled in comparison to his companion’s. He seemed to be a powerful character, judging on how the crowd flowed around the sophisticated group.

She knew she would be drawing more unwanted attention to herself but she was not at her most rational then. So although she would later curse herself for her actions, she didn’t curve into the crowd as her companions did. Instead, she looped gracefully forward and daringly skipped straight toward the group as if expecting them to part for **_her_.**

She just needed to taunt them in her own little way. Almost everything about them called to her. She was fascinated by their easy elegance, their cold beauty, the cool masks they wore, and by the blue blood upbringing evident in everything they did.

An intense curiosity would normally have swelled in her by now; she should have wanted to be closer to them so that she could study them until she had cracked the code to their psyche and knew everything about them (their hopes, their dreams, their _weaknesses_ ). She _would_ have been if they hadn’t had such attitudes.

The superiority they felt towards muggles, as evidenced by Draco’s disgust for Hermione, reminded her of the Dursley’s, and she instantly despised anything that reminded her of them and the years she had be so **weak**. 

She finished her slow examination of the elder Malfoy and inclined her head only slightly. Despite her bold showing, it would not do to make such powerful enemies so early, at least not blatantly. The nod was the only indication that she was aware of the Malfoy family’s power and it was the only concession she would give. She held no respect for them and she would not pretend to.

She turned her gaze to mother and son. Just as blonde and just as pretty, the witch was as pleasant to look upon as her husband was. Kali looked admirably upon the woman’s unbreakably cool mask. It was only the look deep in the woman’s eyes that told her the girl’s actions interested her at all.

Draco had yet to perfect his parent’s icy cool but he tried. It was his eyes and the subtle downward curl of his lips that gave him away. He glared at her and the look was heated. Kali only raised an eyebrow in response. He was certainly bolder when in the presence of his father.

With all the scorn that he could muster, he turned toward his father and whispered, “This is the mud blood lover I was telling you about, Father.” It was quiet enough that only Kali and the three adults heard what he said.

Kali’s eyes flashed in response to the use of the derogatory word but her only reaction was to smile politely and gently scold the boy.

“I would ask that you refrain from using that sort of language in my presence. Such a filthy word is hardly fit to be spoken by someone of you and your companions apparent…caliber. What would people think if they heard you use such an ugly phrase?”   

She was only loud enough for her voice to carry to a few people nearby but that was enough. Once those people showed an interest in the standoff, there was a cascade effect. Within a few seconds, the nearby crowd had quieted and were focusing on the group. 

The boy opened his mouth to respond to his statement but his father’s glance cowed him into silence. He had been too consumed in the memory of his brief humiliation and had noticed the crowd too late. There was nothing he could say. Draco recognized a well-played maneuver when he saw it and this time his glare was wearier.

 He obviously viewed her to be unpredictable and she was pleased with his observations. This was the beginning of the very long lesson she would teach him about the importance of manners. No one disrespected Hermione and got away with it.

She let her lips curl into a sweet smile aimed at the family that she knew made her look innocent. Finally, turning her attention to the man from the bank and dipping her head lower than she had for the elder Malfoy, she peeked coyly from underneath her eyelashes.   

As much as she resented the man for her loss of control in his presence, she respected power. From even the briefest of tastes, she knew he possessed an unbelievable amount of magic and he knew well how to control it.

She made a believable look of subtle shock creep onto her face, as if she had just noticed the little stand off their encounter had turned into, as if the fact that they were just as aware as she was that she’d purposefully continued walking a straight path to them even as everyone else turned away was lost to her.

“Oh, my apologies. How rude of me! If you would excuse me, my good sirs,” and turning to Lady Malfoy she said, “madam.”

Though she kept her tone light but serious, the words themselves were almost mocking, teetering on the edge of respectful and playful belligerence. Smoothly, she stepped around them, only looking into indigo eyes that were calmly examining her. She knew that their owner was trying to solve the puzzle she presented and she certainly couldn’t allow that.

Hoping to unsettle that infuriating calm by way of her sexuality, just like one of the femme fatales in the films would do but surely a lot more uncomfortable for a grown man coming from an extremely underage girl, she gave a flirty wink and a smirk before turning away completely.

She refused to look back as she met her family with a calm expression but a kind of dark gratification was more than apparent in her eyes to those that knew her well. Sarah and Hermione appeared to be instantly suspicious and the blonde accosted her as soon as she got close.

With narrowed eyes, the business woman questioned her. “I only caught the tail end of that. What happened there?”

An expression of innocence crossed the raven haired girl’s face, one she knew Sarah had overcome ages ago but still occasionally let her get away with. “Oh, nothing. I was just apologizing to the boy for bumping into him. It was no big deal.”

Sarah had evidently decided to waylay the issue until they had privacy because she let the girl go but not without a promise of interrogation in her eyes.

When they began walking again, Hermione gave her a warning look. Kali gave her a warm smile in return, mood lightened in the wake of the little games she played.

She could always trust Hermione to advise her against going too far. It was that cautious manner in part that made the girls click so well. It matched well to Kali’s marked impulsiveness.

“Don’t look at me that way. Just testing the waters.”

Hermione sighed heavily. “Don’t be so antagonistic. You don’t want to make enemies so early!” Kali pouted even as she agreed.

She was well aware that Hermione got annoyed when she played up either the childish, especially when she was anything but, or manipulative aspects of her character. Her friend despised the many masks she wore, but they were necessary to her continued survival and she refused to drop them permanently for anything.

Dropping the playful act she was currently indulging in, she allowed herself to be serious for a moment. She could tell from the look on Hermione’s face that she noticed the change in mood. Glancing quickly to check that the adults were still focused on their own conversations, she leaned in.

“I know. But that encounter was needed. I’ve seen the aristocrats and now I have a general idea of the hierarchy of the society we will be entering. The upper crust citizens are obviously long time inheritors of wealth, bluebloods, if not outright lords and ladies. It is obvious that they still operate on blood prejudice and are firmly stuck in the past.” The raven haired beauty gestured to the hustle and bustle going on around the pair.

“Look around us, Hermione. We are far from a modern society. The Wizarding world have probably yet to advance beyond even the Elizabethan period. Technology is one prompt in societal law and without technical advancement, assuming it was restrained in the desire for steady tradition and quite likely also out of arrogance, the laws will be constrained by those same values. I mean really Hermione. Had I not been the last living Potter, I may have been barred from inheriting a good share of my inheritance solely on the principle of me being female.” Kali stared into her friend’s brown eyes, deftly maneuvering them through the crowds after the adults in their party.

“In societies such as these, it was the wealthy who controlled everything, and if those with prejudice and traditional values are in charge, we need to know everything about those traditions and views in order to bend the rules to suit our needs and desires. I will not live under anyone else’s control ever again. However, I will certainly not blame you if you choose to steer clear of my personal mission.”

Kali’s deeply rooted need for autonomy could be felt in her every word as she logically laid out the conclusions she had drawn from the little she had seen already. Hermione’s eyes gleamed in response to such passion, especially when it was a mission she could wholeheartedly support. The brunette nodded firmly.

“Then we must go to the place where such information would be held and gather every scrap relevant to our cause.”

A mischievous glint entered coffee brown eyes as Hermione struck a classic superhero pose and, finger pointing in the air, loudly said, “To the bookstore!”,  before taking off and leaving Kali in fits of laughter behind her.  

 

**_*****Femme Fatale*****_ **

 

Tom Riddle, current Lord Slytherin and the allegedly deceased Lord Voldemort, sat contemplating his newest interest as Lucius prepared them both a glass of the finest red wine on the market.

He had first noticed the girl in the bank when she had reached out to him. He had almost reacted violently, until he realized that a child was the one who had touched his magic. What stopped him was not the fact that she was still but a child, he had murdered enough children before his downfall to know that her age would not have an effect on the severity of her punishment, but the fact that she had the ability to touch him at all.

He ignored the drunken sway of her body knowing it was an effect of mature magic interacting with her own developing magic. Instead, he pondered the level of control such an ability would entail and estimated that it would require a level very close to what he had achieved at that age.

A curiosity that was, but not important in the scheme of things beyond as an amusement. It was not until the encounter in the alley once he had crossed paths with one of his faithful servants that he realized her true value. 

The green eyed child who stood daringly in front of the powerful family and taunted them from behind an innocent mask, ignoring his presence beyond a nod of respect and a cursory glance, was none other than the blasted Girl-Who-Lived. It seemed that no one had recognized who she was without her infamous scar on display.

While she turned her attentions to toward the Malfoy’s, he turned on his mage sight and barely managed to hide his reaction. 

Her magic swirled wildly around her with no lease on her powers, the scent of ozone hanging thick in the air with a powerful heat intermittently cutting through. It was as if she stood in the eye of a storm, lighting crackling ominously in the air above her. Interestingly enough, beyond wielding a level of control comparable to what he had possessed in his youth, her power level was nearly as strong as his was at that age, if not stronger.

His interest only increased when she had started a game of her own with him, one that he knew well. An expert at seduction, he knew a budding seductress when he saw one, and Ms. Potter had all the makings of a very successful one.

Yet, she had no idea what she had done by challenging him that way and she was in no way ready to play the level of games he was used to.  Though, he couldn’t say he wasn’t interested in teaching her.

When he had looked into those uniquely colored eyes, he had seen a dark hunger that he recognized from his own childhood. Maybe, this child could be an ally instead of an enemy.

This one encounter had changed everything and required the Dark Lord to adjust his plans. After meeting the girl, none of the plans in place would be successful. This did not worry him. Tom Riddle was nothing if not a magnificent planner; he always came out on top because he always had a backup plan. He wasn’t called a genius for nothing.

That night at Godric’s Hallow, he had entered the house prepared for every possible outcome, including his death unlikely as that was. He even had a fall back identity in case anything went wrong and he had to go into hiding.

Tom Riddle, the current Lord of house Slytherin, had never disappeared. Tom had made sure to keep his identity as a boy genius/ spell creator/ international traveler and his identity as the fearful Dark Lord completely separate.

While Voldemort terrorized Wizarding Britain, Tom Riddle traveled the world in the pursuit of knowledge before claiming his lordship and fading into isolation, conveniently before the time of Lord Voldemort’s death. 7 years after the destruction of the dark lord by a child, Tom Riddle appeared on the political stage where he quickly climbed the ranks to reach the position he was in today.

Savoring the taste of the finely aged wine caressing his tongue, he turned hooded eyes onto his faithful servant.

“Lucius,” his purr immediately gaining the blond’s full attention, “get me all the information the ministry has on Kali Potter. It seems there has been a change of plans.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...in which Kali practices a new skill

Time passed quickly once Kali and Hermione had been dragged from the bookstore. Despite their attempts, it was not practical to buy the entire bookstore and frankly, they did not have the time to do so. Hermione was fascinated by the apothecary and how closely related potion making was to cooking, one of her favorite activities besides reading. Kali, a fervent animal lover, was quickly distracted by Eeylops Owl Emporium and 20 minutes later, she walked out with a beautiful snowy owl whose gold eyes she had found most captivating.

After all the delays, they quickly arrived at their last stop, Ollivander's wand shop. The back of Kali's neck prickled as she entered. Allowing everyone to precede her, she stopped, tilting her head as she contemplated the exact nature of the feeling. It was the same feeling that had drawn her to Hermione and shimmered across her skin during the time she had spent in Diagon Alley.

Everything in this dusty and silent little shop seemed to tingle with some secret magic. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, concentrating on the energy around her.

Moving around the group examining the thousands of narrow boxes stacked to the ceiling of the shop, she curtsied in front of what appeared to be empty space. "Good afternoon, sir." Her companions startled as they turned their attentions to Kali's voice and found an old man, wide pale eyes shining like moons, standing before her and bowing back.

"Good Afternoon, Ms. Potter. I thought I'd be seeing you soon." The man moved closer to her. "You have your mother's eyes. It seems like only yesterday she was in here herself, buying her first wand. Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Nice wand for charm work."

The older man moved even closer. He didn't blink and Kali didn't take her eyes off of him. She got the feeling that he was used to people being visibly unnerved by his behavior and those creepy silvery eyes as Hermione, her parents, and Sarah seemed to be but she merely appreciated the mystery of his act. Kali could tell that this man was far more than he appeared to be.

"Your father, on the other hand, favored a mahogany wand. Eleven inches. Pliable. A little more power and excellent for transfiguration. Well, I say your father favored it – it's really the wand that chooses the wizard, of course." By this time, Ollivander had come so close that he and Kali were nearly nose to nose. And still she did not move or shift her attention from the misty orbs locked on to her forehead where a lightning bolt scar should be.

"And that's about where…."

Mr. Ollivander traced the shape of the lightning bolt on Kali's forehead exactly where it would have been placed at one point in her life with a long, white finger.

"I'm sorry to say I sold the wand that did it," he said softly. Thirteen and a half inches. Yew. Powerful wand, very powerful, and in the wrong hands…. Well, if I had known what that wand was going out into the world to do long ago….maybe I would have chosen a different path…or never have created that wand at all….."

Kali stayed perfectly still. Though Ollivander was staring into her eyes, he was no longer there. This lend credence to the belief that the wand maker was probably a seer or oracle. The Wizarding world must have those sort of figures if riding a broom was possible. For just a moment, Kali imagined that she could see billions of paths and possibilities reflected in those milky eyes, timelines constantly shifting, turning, and rotating, worlds formed and destroyed all in the manner of nanoseconds.

The vaguely suspenseful air in the shop was broken when Sarah awoke from whatever stupor she had fallen into and stepped behind Kali, placing a hand on her shoulder and glaring at Ollivander. "If you could move a little faster sir? We are on a tight schedule."

Ollivander blinked and whatever walls had fallen during his conversation with Kali was back up in the blink of an eye. "Oh course ma'am. Alright, who shall be first?" He cast a critical eye over both girls and answered, "I'll take the other young lady. Ms. Potter appears to be a difficult case."

Hermione blinked and stepped forward.

Ollivander pulled out a long tape measure with silver markings out of his pocket. "Which is your wand arm?"

Hermione eyebrows pursed for a second as she figured out what the wand maker was asking before she replied," Oh! I'm right-handed!" Ollivander nodded. "Hold out your arm. That's it."

He measured the brown haired girl from shoulder to finger, wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit, and around her head. As he measured, he said," Every Ollivander wand has a core of a powerful magical substance, Ms. Granger. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same just as no two unicorns, dragons or phoenixes are quite the same. And of course, you will never get such good results with another wizard's or witch's wand."

Kali watched the tape measure do silly things like measuring between Hermione's nostrils on its own as Ollivander flinted through the shelves, taking down a few boxes.

"That will do," he said, and the tape measure crumpled into a heap on the floor as the old wand maker approached Hermione with a wand. "Try this one. Sycamore and unicorn hair. 10 inches, nice and flexible. Just give it a wave."

Hermione barely had a chance to swish the wand around before Ollivander was snatching the wand and replacing it with another one. "Beechwood and dragon heart string. 12 3/4 inches and quite whippy." The swish of this wand created a sizzling effect that startled the girl.

Hermione tried a few more wands before Ollivander approached one last time. "I think we've found the perfect match. Try it. Vinewood and dragon heart string. 10 3/4 inches and quite swishy.

Hermione twitched her wrist and red and gold sparks shot from the wand like fireworks, dancing in the air around her. " Your match indeed! There you go Ms. Granger."

The bushy haired girl still appeared stunned as she backed away from the man and allowed Kali to take her place. Kali stretched her right arm and gave a charming grin. "My turn Mr. Ollivander."

As the tape measure worked its way around the girls body, the wand maker was moving from shelve to shelve, taking down boxes. The tape measure once again crumpled to the floor as the older man approached the girl with a wand.

"Rowan and dragon heart string, nine inches, nice and flexible. Give it a wave." Kali took the wand and waved it around a bit but felt nothing. She was not surprised when Ollivander took the wand back. They followed this pattern for several more combinations of wands, Ollivander getting more and more excited in the face of such a "tricky customer" as he labeled her, before Kali had had enough.

"Mr. Ollivander!"

The wand maker stopped moving at the sound of his name.

"May I try something? As you say, If the wand chooses the wizard, there would be something of a connection between the two, correct? May I attempt to feel out this connection by myself?"

The wand maker appeared intrigued and gave her permission. Kali closed her eyes and concentrated. She imagined a million thin red pieces of thread that connected the wands to their owners and focused on calling for the wand connected to her to come to her. There was a disorientating minute where she was overwhelmed by the amount of bonds surrounding her and the shop before she felt a short of "tugging" as something flew off the shelves at her. Her eyes snapped open as a wand slipped into her right hand and black and gold sparks decorated the air, making little beam of lights play on the walls.

A comforting warmth spread through her body and Kali was tempted to close her eyes and savor the feeling.

Ollivander's words interrupted her moment of peace. "Well, well, well...how curious... how very curious... a phoenix feather core, a holly handle and an elder body, nice, supple, and so very unique." He put Kali's wand in its box and wrapped it in brown paper, still muttering, "curious..oh so curious."

Kali's eyes narrowed as she asked what was so curious about the situation.

The wand maker fixed the girl with his pale stare.

"I remember every wand I've ever sold, Ms. Potter. Every single wand. Aside from the unique mixing of the holly and elder wood on your wand, it so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, gave another feather - just one other. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother - why, its brother gave you that scar."

Kali raised an eyebrow in interest even as everyone else in her party appeared worried by the news.

"Yes, thirteen and a half inches. Yew. Curious indeed how these things happen. The wand chooses the wizard, or witch... I think we must expect great things from you Ms. Potter... After all, He Who Must Not Be Named did great things - terrible, yes, but great."

They paid for their wands and exited the shop. Kali gave a strange little smile and resolved to speak to Ollivander again soon. As off-putting as he seemed to everyone else, Kali thought Ollivander would be a very interesting acquaintance. There were so many hidden things (knowledge, skills, secrets) floating beneath the surface of his creepy veneer and she wanted to pick his brain until she discovered it all.

The late afternoon sun hung low and heavy as they made their way to the arranged meeting with the Headmaster, unaware of the man, head covered by a turban, that watched the group with curious brown eyes.

_*******Femme Fatale******* _

Albus Dumbledore shared a private room in the back of the Leaky Cauldron with his two colleagues as he waited to meet Kali Potter and her party. This girl was a dilemma and where a lot of his recent regrets lay. He regretted his part in the death of her parents and he regretted placing her with the Dursley's with full knowledge of the loveless childhood she would have but it was all for the greater good.

However, he also regretted listening to his colleagues and not placing the girl back under blood protection with compulsion spells on the Dursley's to make them sooner hurt themselves than to lay a hand on Kali. She would have grown up a different person if everything had gone according to plan. As she was now, the reports he had gotten from Minerva and Severus were troubling. He was self-aware enough to realize that maybe the plan was the problem.

Instead of growing more compassionate and self-sacrificing as she should have, (Dumbledore cared for the girl but he was prepared to sacrifice one life for many), she appeared to have grown cold, manipulative, and devious. And yet…Minerva had also reported that the girl had a warm, caring side that reminded the Transfiguration teacher of her parents. That was the side Dumbledore needed to work on revealing. The girl had to be in Gryffindor, where she would be surrounded by kind, light-oriented wizards, wizards sympathetic to his cause who would influence the girl to be the same.

Bringing his attentions back to his colleagues, Dumbledore watched as Minerva warned Severus against his earlier behavior. The headmaster should have agreed with the deputy headmistress but he needed Severus to be as bias and awful as he was to the girl. That would give her another reason to steer clear of Slytherin and the dark.

There was a knock on the door and Tom let them know that their guests had arrived. Soon after, a small girl and a tall blonde woman entered the room. Dumbledore noted the curious look on the girl's face and mentally marked it down as a characteristic he could exploit in order to make sure that the girl followed the path he had set.

They sat down, as proper and elegant as any pureblood. Looking at the prim and proper face of the child's guardian, he immediately knew that Sarah would be a problem. He could tell that she was not one to be a pushover and could be as formidable as any pureblood Lady.

He knew that in order to make things go as they should, she would need to be recruited to the light side or disposed of. Dumbledore pasted on his persona of a bumbling but knowledgeable grandfather. He hated that he needed to think this way, but it was all for the greater good of the Wizarding World.

_*******Femme Fatale******* _

"Uncle! Do you know if she's coming?!" James gave an indulgent smile at the worried tone in his nephew's voice. "Yes Ed, she's coming." The boy let out a sulky sigh. "I haven't seen her yet! Are you absolutely sure?" James let out the chuckle he had been suppressing. "Yes. She's running a bit late because they also had to pick up Sam."

His 12 year old nephew gave him a squinty eyed glare. "This isn't funny. The girl I'm going to marry is in a car with that jerk." The older man turned his head away to hide his smile. Kali was one of his most popular talents and his personal favorite. He had grown close to his Sarah and his little doll over the years. He had known she would be a little heartbreaker as soon as he met her and time had proven his prediction to be true.

He swore half the boys in the agency were in love with her (as much as they could be considering their age), including his nephew. To celebrate Edward's first job, landing a major Ralph Lauren spread, he invited his friends from private school and the children from the agency to a huge bash on his family's estate. With his family having old money, and his parent's being wealthy business partners with connections to the royal throne that were more than willing to spoil Ed, his party was certainly extravagant. Ed, when creating the invitations, had wanted to exclude all of the boy's competing for Kali's attention but especially Sam.

James was unwillingly well-informed on the school yard romances going in within the agency and Sam and Kali's was the one relationship he had heard the most about. He thought they were cute together and, despite his nephew's outrage and predictions, he knew primary school relationships didn't last long unless it was an on and off again relationship lasting throughout the participants life.

This one could go either way because of the nature of the kids involved.

Both Sam and Kali were extremely good looking kids with flirty personalities that ensured they always had admirers on both ends. He suspected the relationship wouldn't last long because of Kali in particular. Sam was visibly infatuated with Kali but her attentions were not as "focused", one might say, as Sam's. She showed an advanced understanding of people and he had witnessed her charm and flirt her way into and others out of things for years.

His nephew was pouting stubbornly next to him while reassuring himself aloud. "She's coming; she promised she would if I got her and Ms. Sarah a meeting with my parents. I did. I told her as soon as I did and she promised to be here." James couldn't stop his eyebrows at that but he said nothing. Of course, Kali would place a condition on her presence here.

But for what reason would an 11 year old girl need to meet with Edward's parents?

Breaking from his thoughts, a joyous noise caught his attention as Ed caught sight of Kali and rushed toward her with a wide smile. The party was already in full swing by then and the pair were quickly engulfed in a large group of children. James didn't move to monitor them as adults were already in close proximity to the group and he preferred it this way. Now, he could freely ponder the new information that had been presented to him.

As much as he loved Kali, he did not appreciate her manipulative nature and he was not happy about the deal his nephew had been pushed into. He would wait until he got a chance to pull her away and speak to her in private. It would be about an hour or so before he could catch her without a crowd surrounding her.

He found Kali talking to a tall red-headed girl, whose cheeks blushed a rosy red as Kali twirled the girl's hair around one of her fingers and spoke to her softly with a warm smile. Approaching the pair of girls, he ignored the feeling that he was encroaching on a clearly intimate situation.

"We should hang out some time." Kali's voice held a flirtatiousness he had previously only heard directed toward young men. The girl's blush intensified as she stuttered out a response. "I-I-I'd like that."

James cleared his throat and the girl jumped back, startled by his appearance. Kali, however, seemed completely unconcerned and only raised a single eyebrow in his direction. Though he saw no outward change in her expression, he got the feeling that she found his interruption distasteful and started feeling self-conscious despite himself.

The girl was fidgeting and Kali clearly saw her discomfort as she said," That's great. We can arrange a date later. Why don't you go ahead and let me take of this, okay?" The relief was plain on the other girl's face as she made her escape.

Kali turned to the older gentleman. "Can I help you?"

James pushed off the uncomfortable feelings he had been experiencing and glared. "We need to speak in private young lady. Follow me."

He marched away but stopped when he noticed at Kali was not following. Nonchalantly examining her nails, Kali glanced up at him. The expression on his face betrayed his frustration. "Well" He demanded.

Kali remained unimpressed. "I'm not going anywhere until you tell me where we're going." James cursed this habit of hers. Kali would go no where without being told where they were relocating to. Sarah had told him that it stemmed from an abusive childhood and he sympathized but that made the habit no less annoying. "We're going to have a short discussion in my office regarding some alarming news I've heard."

Kali's eyes pierced him like daggers, leaving him rooted to the spot as she judged his intentions before nodding and walking forward and past him. Noticing that he was not following, she turned around and smirked, a devilish look in her eyes. "Coming?"

He couldn't help but watch her as she walked away. There was something a little enticing about the smooth sway of just developing hips. James shut that line of thought down quickly. He had left that sickness behind a long time ago and he wouldn't let it ruin his life anymore.

He shivered as he wondered just what he had gotten himself into.

He echoed those statements as he stared across the sofa at the young girl. She slouched elegantly in her chair and peeked at him though hooded eyes and thick eyelashes, a tactic he had seen enough to recognize but one that was still effective nonetheless.

He didn't notice that he had been staring silently for some time until Kali spoke, the remnants of a smile clinging to her lips. "Feel free to share the purpose of this meeting at any time."

Clearing his throat, James tried to dredge up what was left of the outrage he had felt earlier.

"I have a few questions for you. What exactly is the purpose for the meeting with Edward's parents that you arranged?" A slight brow rose in response to his question.

"This is what you wanted to speak about? What importance would my answer have to you?"

James furrowed his eyebrows. "This is my nephew and my family. Of course I would be curious. I know you, Kali, and I know your manipulative nature."

Kali got up from her seat and sat next to him on the sofa. "Oh James," she purred as she leaned close. "You really don't know anything about me at all. But  _ **I**_  know a lot about  _ **you**_. And I would suggest that you keep out of my affairs if you don't want everyone else to know those things too."

A fissure of cold fear opened up within him. What did she know? He couldn't stop the flash of alarm that showed on his face.

She leaned in close enough that he could feel her breathe caressing the curve of his ear. "Oh yes. Did you really think that no one noticed the way your eyes lingered on all the little girls you manage? Lingered on me? It must be hard for you, surrounding by the very objects of your desire. Your forbidden fruit."

A hand crept up his thigh and James was frozen in horrified pleasure. She was right. He had been fighting this sickness for a long time and everyday was a battle.

"How difficult it must be. To look and not be able to touch. I know you want it, crave it even. Just a single touch. Look at me James. Let me help you."

He turned to look at her and drowned in pools of green before blacking out completely.

When he opened his eyes, he blinked. He was in his office at his brother's home. Why was he there and why was he alone? It took a second to come back to him, but he remembered that he was there for Edward's party. What he couldn't figure out was how he arrived in his office without memory of how he got there or for what purpose.

Shaking off the odd occurrence, he left his office and headed back to the party, his mind still cloudy. On his way outside, he ran into Kali and smiled at one of his favorite clients.

"What are you doing in here?"

She smile sweetly at him. "Just looking for the loo. Could you tell me where it is?"

Pointing her towards the restroom, he prepared to leave but was stopped by her concerned voice. "Are you alright, Mr. James? You seem a little...lost?"

He waved off her concern. "I'm fine. You should go quickly so you can make it back to the party and your friends." She still seemed concerned but dropped the matter and hurried along.

As he made his way outside, he couldn't help but think that despite her occasional moods and her awful past, Kali was still such a sweet little girl. He knew she would go far in life.

_******Femme Fatale******* _

Kali smiled as she watched James watch away. It had worked, all her practice had paid off. Erasing certain information from minds that could use the information negatively was a good skill to have. It was lucky that James had presented this opportunity to her and even better that it was such a small piece of information that wouldn't matter in the long run anyway.

Mostly, she was happy that James appeared to be fine after the encounter. She liked James. He cared about her and Sarah and did a great job as a manager. It would have been awful if she had made a mistake and destroyed his mind or given him some sort of permanent damage.

Of course, she would need to observe him further to make there was no real damage but everything looked good from here. This was a good skill to learn as her summer closed and she prepared to go to school. She needed every advantage she could get.

Who knows what the children in the Wizarding World had already learned!

She had already started studying their traditions and culture but she needed to match them in magical skill also. Kali didn't tolerate failure well and she planned to stay at the top of her class just as she had in the non magical world.

In order to stay in control, she needed to dominate socially and academically and anyone who was a threat to her had better watch out.

She smirked. The Wizarding world wouldn't know what hit it.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...in which they start a new adventure

A hand jostled Kali awake. She woke abruptly from her dream and looked into the face of a smirking brunette who pointed to the corner of her mouth.

"Got a little something there Kali?"

Sticking her tongue out at her friend, Kali pulled a mirror from her bag. Ignoring Sarah and Hermione's snickers, she wiped the bit of droll from her mouth and smoothed her hair back into a manageable state. Call her vain if you wished, she wouldn't deny the claim. She was vain for good reason.

Her looks were one of her main weapons and she endeavored to be as flawless as she could possibly be at all times to keep that weapon sharp. It was her beauty that had first attracted Sarah's attention and she had no idea what her life would be like if Sarah had never removed her from the Dursley's. Honestly, if she had stayed much longer, she most likely would have terrorized and then eventually murdered the Dursley's to escape them and she would have turned to the streets. She had just about reached her breaking point around the time Sarah had arrived and had been contemplating the logistics of the elimination of the entire Dursley family.

Sarah's voice brought her out of her thoughts. "Have you finished primping in the mirror yet?'

Kali closed her compact and stuck her tongue out once again to Sarah before getting out of the car. Hermione's parents had gone out of town for a business meeting, one they had been prepared to cancel before Hermione convinced them that she would be perfectly fine with Sarah and Kali. It had not been simple, as Kali was aware that Hermione's mother did not think she was stable nor a good influence on her daughter, but eventually they relented.

They had spent the night before reviewing spells, wizarding traditions, and sharing thoughts on what they wanted to accomplish in the year ahead. Hermione wanted to be first in the class, a wish that started a challenge between the two girls, but Kali had more politically oriented goals. She wanted to make connections through the students, connections that would allow her to find out the truth behind the arrest and imprisonment of Sirius Black.

Of course, she mentioned a few long term goals, little things like subtly taking over the government by placing competent people she liked in positions of power while she ruled from the shadows and took over the media sources in the wizarding world, but those were goals for the future. That year, she planned on focusing on the issue of the mysterious Mr. Black.

Taking a deep breathe, she prepared herself to step into a new environment, one she didn't know nearly enough about. She allowed herself a single moment of doubt, a moment to question her decision to leave behind a world she excelled in and enter one where she would once again be ignorant and weak.

With a slow exhale, she squared her shoulders and out of the vehicle stepped a girl so confident, it bordered on arrogance. The small group walked into the train station. It took a minute or so before someone recognized her but soon the whispering started as more and more people were informed of her identity and they noticed her. Cursing her carelessness, Kali began to wish that people would ignore her and her belongings and assume she was an ordinary child.

Her magic reacted to this wish, and soon enough they were ignored again. It was perfect timing as they were nearing the 9th and 10th train terminals and it would obviously be dangerous to enter the school's special terminal with so many non-magical eyes watching. Kali saw Sarah glance at her, correctly assuming she had something to do with the lack of attention they were no receiving, but she looked away again, dismissing it. Kali knew Sarah didn't like her using her magic in public for risk of exposure but this was a beneficial use and so she would let it go.

Approaching the pillar that supposedly contained the portal that would allow them to reach platform Nine and Three Quarters, she heard a loud voice reach her ears"-packed with muggles of course".

She couldn't help but raise her eyebrows in disbelief. Surely this woman was not serious. Why would she be practically screaming if this entire world was supposed to be secret? Was there not a statute of secrecy and was she not breaking it?

The speaker was a plump woman who was talking to four boys, all with flaming red hair. Each of them was pushing a trunk in front of him – and they had an owl, not as beautiful as Hedwig of course. "Now, what's the platform number?" said the boys' mother. "Nine and three-quarters!" piped a small girl, as flame haired as the rest of her family, who was holding her hand. "Mum, can't I go…"

Kali reached the conclusion that the woman was an idiot. There was no reason to be asking such a moronic question when she clearly knew the answer to the question. Judging by the ages of her sons, this was certainly not her first merry go round.

The woman spoke again and what looked like the oldest boy marched towards platform nine and ten. Kali carefully nudged Hermione's and Sarah's attentions toward the scene and watched, careful not to blink in case she missed it, but just as the boy reached the divide between the platforms, a large crowd of tourists came swimming in front of them. By the time the last rucksack had cleared away, the boy vanquished.

"Fred, you next," the plump woman said. "I'm not Fred, I'm George," said the boy.

"Honestly woman, you call yourself our mother? Can't you tell I'm George?" The woman apologized.

"Only joking, I am Fred," said the boy, and off he went.

Kali smiled faintly at the boy's antics. She loved a good sense of humor. His twin called after him to hurry up, and he must have done so, because a second later he had gone – but how had he done it?

She cursed the constant crowd that was blocking her view. Now the third brother was walking briskly towards the ticket barrier – he was almost there – and then, quite suddenly, he wasn't anywhere. Kali narrowed her eyes. She had almost managed to catch that one. Because she failed however, there was only one option left and Sarah was the one to suggest it.

"She looks like she knows what she's talking about. Let's ask her."

Kali exchanged a glance with Hermione but willingly followed her guardian. When they approached, Sarah gave her a glance that clearly told her she would be the one speaking. Though slightly annoyed, she wasn't bothered by the request. Sarah often let her start and steer conversations in public to give her the practice she would need navigating the world and the public on her own later.

"Excuse me," Kali said to the elder woman.

The woman turned to with a smile, though her eyes were quickly assessing the girl and her companions.

"Hullo dear. First time at Hogwarts? Ron's new too."

She pointed at the last of her sons. He was tall, thin and gangly, with freckles, big hands and feet, and a long nose. And quite frankly, Kali wasn't sure that she liked the looks of him, due mostly to his vaguely uncomfortable constant staring, but perhaps there was some potential buried deep within him.

Making sure her faint disdain towards the boy didn't show in her face, she said "yes, that's nice" and quickly changed the subject.

"We were hoping you could help us with a problem? I'm afraid that we're not completely clear on how we were to get on to the platform."

"Not to worry dear," she said. "All you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Don't stop and don't be scared you'll crash into it, that's very important. Best do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous. Go on, go now before Ron."

A bit irritated at the woman's commands, she nevertheless put on a polite and charming smile and readied her things. It wouldn't do to burn yet another bridge before the year truly began.

The trio turned toward the solid wall. Sarah and Hermione exchanged skeptical looks, both being lovers of logic. Kali had no such compunction. Her life was a serious of impossible events: what was running through a seemingly solid wall. Taking a deep breathe, she jogged toward the wall, thinking solely of the belief that the wall was merely an open passage way, the entrance to the magical terminal. She passed through without incident, turning to see a large iron archway with Platform Nine and Three-Quarters on it. She had made it through.

She gazed around the terminal as she waited off to the side. A scarlet steam engine was waiting next to a platform packed with people. A sign overhead said Hogwarts's Express, eleven o'clock. Her attention was drawn away from the crowd as Hermione and Sarah passed through the barrier. Sarah still looked unsettled yet amazed when they spotted Kali. After a brief discussion, they left.

As they traveled down the platform, a round, sweet faced boy who was saying, "Gran, I lost my toad again," caught Kali's attention as they passed.

He was hapless, pitiful, and adorable. For some reason, he reminded her of a ragged teddy bear that she had cherished when she was younger, before the Dursley's had found out and taken it from her. A strange gleam entered her eyes, one Hermione must have recognized from the warning tone in her voice as she turned to face.

A mask of faux innocent appeared on her face as she turned to the other girl, one that was completely seen through. Hermione watched her closely before she sighed, seemingly resigned to whatever that dangerous gleam meant.

"I know that look in your eye and I know I can't talk you out of it. Do be careful. Try not to break anyone. "

Kali beamed at her like a child that had gotten the puppy they wanted for Christmas. "I promise. I'll take good care of them. He was just so cute. You know I can't resist cute! I won't break him and I won't let anyone else do so either. You know I take good care of things that are mine."

They were near the end of the train when they found an empty compartment. Upon agreement, she turned to put her things away on the train while Hermione said goodbye to Sarah, someone she had become very close to in her own right. Hermione would take her things afterwards and watch their belongings while she said privately said goodbye to Sarah.

She put Hedwig inside first, and then started to heave her way to train door. She tried to lift it up the steps but got a little less than half way she almost dropped it the foot that was already bruised from an incident that happened while dancing earlier that week. Setting it down, she scowled. She was strong, muscles built up by strength exercises she used for dance and martial arts lessons from Sarah, but the trunk was abnormally heavy.

"Want a hand?" It was one of the twins she had followed through the barrier. Interest peaked, the dark haired girl turned to him with a charming smile. "Yes, please." The boy called out to his brother. With the twins help, her trunk was at last tucked into a corner of the compartment. Kali thanked them as she pushed an errant curl out of her face, leaving her forehead exposed.

"What's that," One of the twins asked suddenly, pointing at the faint scar that for once she had neglected to cover with makeup.

"Blimey" said the other twin. That started a confusing but mildly amusing back and forth that end with asking if she was  _the Kali Potter_ in chorus.

"Yes" Kali answered with an amused smirk on her face. The two boys gawked at her and enabled the first sparks of annoyance to filter through her.

The stare off was postponed when the boys' mum called for them and, with one last look at Kali they hopped off the train. Kali almost moved to a spot near the window where she could watch the red-haired family and listen but she was distracted by Hermione's arrival.

Helping Hermione with her trunk, she noticed the other girl's trunk was infinitely lighter. Hermione noticed where her attentions were and smirked. "Permanent feather light charms." Kali could have smacked herself. Of course. Why hadn't she thought of that? Shaking it off with a smile, she hopped off the train and approached Sarah.

The blonde was teary eyed, which didn't bode well for Kali. She never dealt well with Sarah's tears. Hoping to hold off the floodgates, she went directly for a tight hug and gave Sarah some time to compose herself. Neither of them were very good with expressing emotions verbally and choose instead to hold each other tightly for a few minutes before separating.

The blonde sniffed and gave a watery smile. "You'll be sure to write?"

Kali blinked back a few tears of her own.

"Of course." She couldn't stop the flood of words leaving her. Things that had been building up since the day Sarah had appeared at the Dursley's like her knight in shining armor and saved her from an infinitely darker path.

"Thank you so much for everything you've ever done for me. I have no idea where I would have been if you hadn't come to my aid. I owe you a debt that I will never be able to repay. I-I love you."

A whistle sounded as Sarah froze in shock. This was the very first time the dark haired girl had uttered those words to her in all the years she had been caring for her. Sarah pushed back her shock, resolving to have a solid cry later on, and hugged Kali again.

"I love you too dear. So very much. Now hurry, you don't want to miss your train."

With a slight nudge, Kali slid onto the train in the nick of time only to be embraced quickly by Hermione, one of the only people conscientious of the true significance of the exchange on the train terminal. They watched Sarah out of the window until she disappeared as the train rounded the corner.

The dancer was suddenly filled with excitement and a slight melancholy for all she was leaving behind. Turning to her friend with a bright smile, she readily declared," This is it Hermione. A brand new start in our lives."

Her friend, though plagued with doubts of her own, smiled back just as brightly in agreement.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ..in which Neville gains two new friends

Hermione eyes roamed the words on the pages of **Hogwarts: A History** but her mind was set on pondering her current circumstances. The first hour of their train ride had passed by uneventfully. It hadn’t taken much beyond that for Kali to become bored and start to move around. It wasn’t long ago that Kali had sat down, thrown her hair in a messy up-do, and began a few flexibility stretches that looked completely uncomfortable to Hermione but of course, Kali made look effortless. It was a tight fit in the compartment but she made it work.

Kali had just entered one of those especially absurd positions, completely bent backwards with her hands resting on her ankles, when the compartment door opened to reveal the boy that had interested Kali on the platform.

Hermione flitted her eyes over him quickly, evaluating him to figure out what traits appealed to Kali. He had a generally timid and nervous air about him and, she noticed with slight amusement, his face had become dangerously red when he noticed Kali’s position and squeaked in embarrassment. The dark haired girl had opened her eyes and smiled at the boy, no doubt having noticed his approach beforehand if she had been meditating as she occasionally did while stretching.

The boy had remained frozen in the doorway, just watching as Kali unfolded from her position and took a seat. Hermione decided to take pity on him and invite him in. He certainly wasn’t the first boy to freeze at the sight of Kali and he wouldn’t be the last. Though she didn’t think his reactions were sexual in this instance and merely shock at Kali’s abnormal flexibility.

“It’s okay. Feel free to come in and sit down.” He started at her words and immediately blushed harder.

“I-It’s fine. I just wanted to ask a question?”

He sounded so nervous. The brunette could see Kali practically melting on the inside when faced with one of her weaknesses. The girl loved soft, adorable things and this boy was basically the personification of a giant shy teddy bear. Kali was not going to let him slip through her fingers.

Tossing the boy a friendly grin, Kali prompted his question. “Yes, we’re listening.”

His right hand fidgeted with the hem of his shirt as he asked,” Have you seen a toad around here? His name is Trevor and he ran away again.”

Kali looked to be genuinely sorry when she said,” No, no toads have passed through here.”

Perking up suddenly, she added, “We can certainly help you look for him. Can’t we, Hermione?”

The other girl turned her big green eyes and pout combo on her friend. Normally, Hermione would have shut her down at this point since that look usually meant trouble but the request sounded innocent so the brown haired girl nodded in affirmative. 

Kali reached out and grabbed Neville’s hands, causing his blush to deepen. Hermione, after closer inspection, decided that it definitely wasn’t sexual. Merely a reaction to living a life that wasn’t full of casual affection from his peers. She recognized a victim of social isolation especially having experience with the feeling in her earlier years and that more than anything fully persuaded her to give in with a sigh.  

“Yes, let’s go. I’m sure we can find him quickly if we work together.

 

*******Femme Fatale*******

 

The issue of the toad was quickly solved however when, after some time asking around, they found a single older student in a compartment. Apparently annoyed at the interruption, the boy quickly summoned the toad and waved away Neville’s stuttering thanks.

Neville was warmly surprised when they left the compartment and Kali revealed her unhappiness with the way the boy spoke to Neville.

It suddenly hit him that there was no reason for them to hang around him now that he had found Trevor and he was saddened at the thought of losing the first people who seemed the least bit interested in being friends with him.

Hanging his head, he scuffed the toe of his shoe against the floor as he thanked them and prepared to be left alone again. “T-thanks for helping to find Trevor. You can go back now. I’m okay.”

He heard a soft laugh and hunched his shoulders in further. He wasn’t surprised that they were laughing. He knew he was pathetic. He heard the sound of something hitting flesh and a quick “ouch!”

He looked up to see Kali pouting and rubbing her arm and Hermione glaring at her. The dark haired girl turned to him and he ducked his head again.

A hand reached out and grabbed his with a tug. He looked up once again to see Kali peering at him with kind and teasing eyes. “Hey now, none of that. I wasn’t laughing _at_ you. I was just laughing at how cute you were.”

He couldn’t help the blush that settled on his face at that.

“I like you Neville. Hermione likes you. We’d like having you around to hang out.”

She added a slightly teasing cadence to her voice. “That’s what friends do you know. Hang out. ”

She waited for a response but Neville was too stunned to reply with more than a stuttered word “F-friends?”

This was a big deal for him. He had never really had friends before. He had met other children his age at various pureblood events of course, but no one had really paid him much attention. He glanced over to the bushy haired brunette to see her nodding in agreement with her friend.

The dark haired girl smiled slow and wide with a soft look on her face as she cast her eyes over the shy boy and murmured to him “Of course. I can tell that this will be the start of a beautiful friendship.”

Neville could only nod in response.

 

*******Femme Fatale*******

 

Kali had just peeked into another compartment when a very distinctive head of platinum blond hair caught her attention. Her eyes widened in delight. It was the blonde from Diagon Alley! She couldn’t believe her luck. She couldn’t possibly let this opportunity pass her by. Turning to catch up to the group that had continued when she stopped, she grabbed Hermione’s attention and thus Neville’s in turn.

“I’m going to check in with a lovely acquaintance I made in Diagon Alley the first time we went. Will you lead him back to our compartment to put Trevor away safely? Don’t worry about me. I’ll be back momentarily and then we can go around introducing ourselves as we planned on doing.”

She shot her best friend a winning smile, one that usually persuaded people to allow her to do what she wanted but the brunette had long since become immune to it. Eyes narrowed, she looked like she wanted to scold Kali but she refrained under the knowledge that Kali wouldn’t listen. Instead she gave a warning, slightly consoled by the fact that the other girl had at least warned her before disappearing this time.

“Be careful and don’t go around making trouble.”

The other girl’s smile widened as she nodded. She went back and peeked through the compartment window as the group went on. 

He was standing, preparing to leave the compartment. She slid the door open before he could make any significant movements towards the door.

“Oh my, look at who it is! “

The blonde looked up and narrowed his eyes dangerously before he could reign in his reaction. “You!” He hissed through gritted teeth. 

She ignored the eyes evaluating her and remained smiling at the boy in a pleasant manner she could tell was infuriating for him. 

“Yes, me. After our….encounter in the alley, I realized that I didn’t even know your name! I thought it remiss of me and decided to correct that mistake.”

It would only be right for her to learn the name of the boy she intended to teach a lesson. The pale blonde boy sat back down and raised his chin in the air, ignoring the simpering girl by his side.

“I’m Malfoy. Draco Malfoy. And who might you be?” He asked arrogantly.

Kali smirked, suppressing a snicker at the way the boy’s introduction reminded her of James Bond.

“Potter. Kali Potter at your service.”

That stopped him in his tracks as his eyes narrowed and a calculating look passed through them. “Your scar?”

There was something different in the inflection of his voice from its previous tones that peaked her interest in him once again. Moving the makeshift side bang she had created, she exposed the faint scar.

As the blonde processed the new information, she turned her attentions to other people in the compartment she had be ignoring until then. She skimmed quickly over the muscle and girl attached to Malfoy like a leech with faint distaste.

It was the other 3 people that really intrigued her.

The first boy was incredibly handsome and it was likely he would only become more so as he grew older. His skin was the color of smooth milk chocolate and he appeared especially fit for an 11 year old boy, something she definitely approved of. Pitch black curls fell gracefully around his face, bringing attention to his defined features and whiskey colored eyes.

The blonde had an icy beauty about her, even at this age. Stormy blue-grey eyes stared out of an angular face as wisps of honey blonde hair escaping from her sleek bun framed her face. She was slender, the perfect body type for a ballerina. She was pale but there was a tinge of color to her skin that spoke of an early summer spent somewhere sunny that was beginning to fade.

Their companion wasn’t as attractive as they were but there was something about his features that was intriguing. His features weren’t necessarily pretty all on their own, his lips and eyes slightly too big, his brown eyes slightly too slanted, but somehow they all seemed to fit. His most impressive feature was his hair. It was gorgeous. Thick and wavy golden brown locks that looked like it was meant to have hands running through it. Kali fought the urge to touch it.    

She walked closer to the darker skinned boy, the thin blonde, and the other boy, continuously ignoring the dark haired girl attached to Malfoy like a limpet, the blonde trying to burn a hole in her skull for ignoring him, and the two bodyguards Malfoy had surrounded himself with.

Kali came to a decision. She was nothing if not an opportunist, and these children had traits that would be in high demand at Sarah’s agency. Judging on their company, they were probably bigots but it was better to have tried right?

She didn’t sit down, not without their permission. She merely lowered her tone, making the talk a bit more intimate. “You three, you’re very beautiful. Have you ever thought about modeling?”

She ignored the arrogant boy calling her name and focused intensely on the three in front of her. They exchanged glances, and though they had a far greater hold over their emotions than Malfoy did, she had plenty of experience with reading people. They seemed to be amused but weren’t taking her very seriously.

No matter. She didn’t think they would. She merely wanted to plant an idea in their minds, an idea she could nurture that would benefit both them and Sarah. This wasn’t the first time she had pulled this recruiting technique on someone. And she definitely planned to keep a close eyes on them regardless as something about the three had caught her interest.

“It’s non-magical of course, but there are very good benefits that come with the job. That I know from experience.”

The three exchanged glances again in silent communication and the curly haired boy acted as spokesman of the trio.

“I’m afraid we’ll have to decline.”

Kali was pleased to notice that his voice was measured and cultured. This boy was certainly going to be a marvel when he matured. Though, from the long dragging glance he was gave her as he answered, he could be much more to her much sooner. He had all the markers of a potential playmate as she called them. Someone she could pit her burgeoning skills of seduction against, a practice buddy of sorts.

The dark-haired girl sent him a doleful look in response, one that she included the other two child in as well. Stepping back, she gave a mournful sigh.

“That’s a pity. I could see the three of you becoming very popular.”

“Potter! Don’t ignore me!” The blonde boy huffed. The look of annoyance on his face morphed into a triumphant expression when the girl turned her attention back to him.

She could barely hold back a look of disgust and didn’t bother to stop herself from expressing the scorn she felt. The boy was nothing but a spoiled child at this point and she was angry that he was wasting all the potential she could _feel_ that he had. He had a long way to go before he would become remotely useful to _anyone_ in this state and she didn’t have time to waste. She wondered if she could give him a little shove in the direction she wanted him to go in. 

“Look at you. You’re like a 5 year old child. So pleased with finally capturing my attention again.” The blonde narrowed his eyes at her and opened his mouth to release a vicious retort. Kali held a hand up and his mouth closed abruptly.

(And if she utilized a little unnecessary magical aid to accomplish this task, well she chalked it up to getting a little practice in.)

Stepping closer to the boy, she leaned in closer to his ear. The dark haired harpy next to Malfoy reached out to touch Kali, to push her, but the venom in the stare the other girl shot her stopped her in her tracks.

Looking into the boy’s (quite pretty if she was going to be honest with herself) eyes, she could see a great amount of intelligence warring with indignation and curiosity. Then it suddenly occurred to her. Maybe the boy wasn’t as much of a brat as he seemed. This could merely be a mask he wore as he progressed towards his goals in the shadows.

 And if it was, that made him all the more interested in him. It was definitely a theory to pursue. She came to a decision. There certainly had to be a way she could push him to be better and still punish him for slighting Hermione. It helped that he was nothing more than a passing fancy. If he broke in the process if she pushed too hard then oh well.

Kali, caressing his cheek, whispered into the blonde’s ear. “You’re an intelligent individual Malfoy. There is potential there. However, no one will ever respect you when you continuously act out like a bad tempered toddler. If you don’t want to merely hang on daddy’s coattails your entire life, I suggest you take a long look at yourself and reevaluate your life choices. You’re eleven years old. Time to start growing up a little.”

She took a breath as she seemed to ponder something and purred into his ear, voice laced with flattery. “If this is the mask you choose however, I could see it becoming both troublesome and lucrative. I would feel greatly rewarded if you would one day choose to reveal your true self to me. I feel like we could one day become _very_ good friends if you would allow us too.  ”

Just before she pulled away, she sweetly laid a kiss on the boy’s cheek as she stared at the fuming dark haired girl with amusement in her eyes. Stepping away from the boy, she disregarded his pondering stare and started to make her way out of the compartment. She had given him a chance, it was up to him whether or not he decided to take it. Though the way she planned to exit was somewhat rude and abrupt, she was no longer interested in this encounter. She had fairly satisfied her curiosity and that was all she desired at this moment.

Turning to the other children just before she left, she made one last sweep of the compartment with her eyes before making her farewells. With a slight smirk, she said “As lovely as this has been, I have other engagements to attend to. I do so hope that we can all do this again.” Then she departed with the quiet snick of the closing door of the compartment and the interest dwelling within the minds of the children within the only evidence of her presence there.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...in which Kali is sorted

Neville stepped off the train and observed the girls, his new…friends. His first friends really, a fact he still couldn’t believe.

The dark-haired and brunette girls he had befriended on the train were milling around in front of him with Hannah Abbott and Susan Bones. Both, though half-bloods, were from prominent families like his own so although he was familiar with them, he wouldn’t call them more than acquaintances.  

This was probably the longest he had ever interacted with them outside of obligatory pureblood events and it was interesting. Kali and Hermione were serious about introducing themselves to others and dragged him along. He didn’t complain; it was nice for someone to actually desire his presence. Susan and Hannah were the last people they had encountered.

The girls hit it off so they stayed in that compartment until the train arrived at their final location.

“Neville!” His head snapped up. At some point he had stopped paying attention and the group was ahead of him now. Kali was staring at him, the other girls at her back and the crown moving around them. A warm smile decorated her face and her hand was gesturing for him to come forward and join them.

For a second, he was stunned into further silence. She was already a pretty girl but the smile on her face made her simply radiant and the people on the dark platform certainly noticed. Kali, however, paid them no mind and focused her concern onto Neville.

It was then that his insecurities struck. She was beautiful, famous, and friendly, she would have no shortage of friends when they started Hogwarts and what would happen to their friendship then? He wasn’t special, or strong, or handsome or any of those things. He was nothing like his heroic parents, his grandmother made sure that he knew that. So why would the girl-who-lived hang around poor blundering Neville?

“Neville, are you okay?”   Concern was plain on her features.

Realizing that he was delaying their journey on the small dirty platform, he shook his thoughts away and walked quickly to catch up with the group. He didn’t care. This was the first time in his life that he had real friends and he didn’t plan on letting go of them until they told him to leave.

“I-I’m s-sorry.” Hermione gave him a warm smile from Kali’s right. “It’s completely fine Neville. There’s no need to apologize.”

 A lamp appeared and floated over the heads of the students and a massive voice rang out: “Firs’ years. Firs’ years over here. All right there, ‘ermione?”(PS)

From the dark appeared a giant of a man, beaming down at the tiny bushy-haired brunette.  

“C’mon, follow me – any more firs’ years. Mind yer step, now! Firs’ years follow me!” (PS)

The group followed the man down a steep, narrow path in silence. The darkness crushed the group on all sides. It was a little frightening.

The giant man called over his shoulder. “Ye’ all get yer firs’ sight o’ Hogwarts in a sec, jus’ round this bend here.” (PS)

The first year students let out a loud sound of appreciation at the sight that greeted them. The narrow path had opened to a beautiful image, like a scene out of a painting. An inky black lake stretched before them. In the distance, nestled on the top of a high mountain on the other side, was a magnificent castle with many steeples and towers. Its windows sparkled invitingly to the eyes of the excited first year students.

Beside him, Neville heard someone make a little pained noise. He was startled by the feeling of a body swaying closer to him and a hand gripping his shoulder. He turned his head to see Kali with her eyes closed and a pained look on her face.

Concern immediately washed over him. He hesitated but called her name out quietly. Her response was not immediate, perhaps only a second or two delayed, but that second somehow felt like an eternity.

“…I’m fine.” She opened her eyes and turned slightly, peeking at him through her eyelashes, “I apologize if I worried you.”

Neville blushed violently, he hadn’t noticed how close their faces were until then, but nodded. She didn’t seem like she wanted to share why she had reacted that way so he would leave the subject.

“No more’n four to a boat,” Hagrid calling, directing the children’s attention to a fleet of little boats that lined the shore. They all moved quickly towards the boats. Neville frowned and prepared to offer that he find another boat so that girls would be able to ride together but before he could, Susan gave a suggestion.

“There’s not enough room for everyone in one boat so you guys can take one and I’ll ride with Hannah. We’ll meet up at the castle.”

It was a plan that was agreeable to all of them so they parted ways there, with Hermione, Kali, and Neville getting into one boat and the other two girls finding another. The trio was joined by a petite blond that the boy didn’t recognize.

A loud bellow of “FORWARD” sent the entire fleet of ships into motion, toward their home for the next seven years.     

 

_*******Femme Fatale******* _

 

The giant man, Hagrid Hermione said he was called, knocked on the heavy door in front of them three times. It swung open to reveal a familiar stern faced witch, Professor McGonagall. A smiled threatened to tug at Kali’s lips.

She liked her quite a bit. The professor was a strong, no nonsense type of woman and Kali could appreciate those type of people. It helped that the professor had handled her well enough the first time they met and Kali had been somewhat aggressive in her mannerisms. She wasn’t nearly as unnerved as some people were when the preteen baited them.

By this point, the group had followed the woman into a small, empty chamber off the hall. Kali listened quietly as McGonagall gave her small spiel. Her head was still bothering her, perhaps a punishment for her earlier stupidity.

She has no idea what possessed her to turn on her second sight in front of the castle. She should have guessed that it would be soaked in energy. Looking at the castle felt like someone has shoved two hot pokers into her eyes. She would have fallen over if Neville hadn’t been there for her to grab ahold of.

Idly, she watched McGonagall leave and turned her attentions to the crowd around her. The children around her looked terrified. Everyone was silent except for Hermione, who was quietly whispering spells they had learned. Kali reached out a hand and touched her in hopes of both getting her to stop and calming her.

The dark haired girl jerked when several people behind her screamed. She turned around to glare but stopped, fighting the urge to drop her jaw in disbelief, when she noticed the incorporeal beings that had floated into the room.

She didn’t know why she was so surprised. She had read that ghosts existed. But it was one thing to read about them, and another to actually see them. Now, with the shock passing, she fought the urge to reach out and touch them. She ignored them speaking to the other students. Pearly white and slightly transparent, she wondered if her hand would pass right through them or if she would feel some measure of resistance.

Still fighting the last of her headache, she easily went along with the crowd when Professor McGonagall returned to round them all up for the Sorting Ceremony and led them to the Great Hall.

It was certainly a sight to behold.

It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led the first years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them (PS).

The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver (PS). No longer bothered by stairs, she calmly dragged her eyes over the masses. Quickly boring of that, she chanced a look upward and was graced with the image of a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars. It was beautiful.

She couldn’t stop her smile when she heard Hermione whisper, "It’s bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts, A History".

Kali looked down again as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool, she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. Her small smile widened. Sarah probably wouldn’t have let it in the house.

She couldn’t stop the small startle she gave when the hat began to _sing._ She watched on with a fascinated gaze as the wizard’s hat sang about the four houses. Everyone began to applaud with the end of the hat’s song and Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.

Kali was not nervous. She belonged in this fantastical world and though she knew where she wanted to go, she would make wherever she was placed her home and alter her plans to fit it.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Abbott, Hannah!"(PS).

Hannah went to Hufflepuff and was quickly joined by Susan. The sortings that followed were of no real interest to Kali as she bided her time until Hermione and Neville would be called.

"Granger, Hermione!"

Kali laughed quietly as Hermione walked quickly to the stool, not quite managing to hide how eager she was.

“RAVENCLAW” shouted the hat.  Kali cheered as loud as she could. Shooting her friend a wink when the girl looked over to her.

When Neville was called, the poor boy fell over on his way to the stool. The hat took a long time to decide with Neville. When it finally shouted, "HUFFLEPUFF," Neville ran off still wearing it, and had to jog back amid gales of laughter to give it to "MacDougal, Morag." (PS).

Kali winked and blew the boy a kiss when his eyes met hers just for a chance to deepen his already present blush. And blush beautifully he did.

Kali continued to watch the rest of the sorting with mild interest, noting the placements of several students. Malfoy, Nott, and Parkinson went to Slytherin unsurprisingly. Their presence could make gathering contacts within the Slytherin house either easy or extremely hard.

Then, at last, she was called. “Potter, Kali!”

The hall imploded with the sound of whispering.

“Potter, did she say?”

“Kali Potter? I didn’t she was magical! My little sister loves her!”

“She’s so pretty! I’m jealous. ”

More than used to being the center of attention, the preteen walked gracefully to the stool. The last thing Kali saw before the hat dropped over her eyes was the hall full of people craning to get a good look at her. Next second she was looking at the black inside of the hat. She waited.

Hmm," said a small voice in his ear. "Difficult. Very difficult.” (PS).

Kali cocked a brow. “Am I now? How so?”

“Courage you have aplenty, perhaps to the point of recklessness. But as you have no use for the traditional concept of honor and only utilize chivalry when it will benefit you, Gryffindor is not the choice for you.”

“Hufflepuff would also be a bad choice. You are fiercely loyal, but to a twisted degree, and slow to trust as well as vicious. The Hufflepuffs push you and when you decline to give them the answers they seek, they would isolate you, ruin your ability to trust, and you would, in turn, tear them apart.”   

“Talent, oh my goodness yes, the likes of which is rarely seen, and a strong thirst to prove yourself but Slytherin is not the house for you. Cunning, manipulative, and arrogant, Slytherin would hand you a form of the greatness you seek, but it would also lead to a path of irrevocable darkness and loneliness. Despite what you would like, you crave connection with others. The Slytherins would strike against you and you would strike back twice as hard. It would be a bloodbath. “

“I see you have a fine mind. Very intelligent with an insatiable curiosity. You value knowledge for the power it gives but more so for the sake of knowledge itself. Ravenclaw also offers the neutrality and freedom of movement that you wish to set your plans into motion. Perhaps it will also lead to learn how to interact more honestly with others. As useful as your masks may be, it will also hinder your ability to truly grow and connect with others.”

Kali’s hackles were raised throughout the entire speech. She _hated_ being analyzed. She felt gutted, exposed, and vulnerable. She wanted to rip and tear and destroy the thing that made her feel this way. Her magic boiled dangerously inside of her in response to her feelings. It was with supreme effort that she managed to gain some control, slowly clearing the red haze that had settled over her mind.

Though perhaps regaining control took only a few seconds, it felt like forever.    

The hat gave a hum of approval. “Quite an explosive temper you possess. A dangerous trait with the amount of magic contained within you but you possess an enormous amount of control for one your age.”

Despite her initial feelings, Kali could only acknowledge that the hat was merely doing the job it was created to do. It was not her place to get angry.

Regaining her calm, she asked, “What have you decided?”

“No matter the house, you will no doubt go on to do many great things, Ms. Potter.  However, the house that fits you best would be RAVENCLAW!!!”

The last word was shouted to the hall. Kali took off the hat and walked towards the table of bronze and blue that cheered loudly for her, settling beside Hermione who quickly gripped her in an enthusiastic hug.

The sorting seemed to pass quickly then. The red haired boy, Ron, went to Gryffindor and Zabini went to Slytherin. As this went on, Kali watched the High Table.

In the center, in a large gold chair, sat Albus Dumbledore. Her eyes narrowed imperceptibly. She would not forget how his foolish actions had guided her life and it was doubtful that she would ever forgive him for it.  A peculiar man in a large purple turban glanced at her, met her eyes for a brief second, and then looked away. An odd little man and the giant, Hagrid, were also amongst those seated at the table.

Albus Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was beaming at the students, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there (PS).

Kali wanted to grimace but pasted a polite smile on her face as he spoke.  

"Welcome," he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!"  (PS).

Everyone clapped and cheered as he sat down. Kali fought the disbelief rising in her. _This_ was the man who was supposed to be Headmaster and one of the most powerful wizards in Europe?

She was distracted from her thoughts by the feast that appeared in front of her. It was impressive. She had been to many events and had never seen a spread quite like this one.  She would allow herself to indulge this once but tomorrow it would be back to her strict diet.

She was distracted from her pickings by the feeling of eyes burning into her skull. Glancing up, she met the fierce glare of one Severus Snape and a slow smile spread over her face. Professor Snape really had no idea what he was provoking but she would be more than happy to show him if he pushed far enough.

 

_*******Femme Fatale******* _

 

Severus breathed a sigh of relief as the hat sorted Potter into Ravenclaw. It had been a fear of his that he would be forced to deal with the brat as she was a Slytherin if he’s ever seen one. He had no idea how she tricked the hat into Ravenclaw but he supposed her should be grateful. 

She walked confidently to her table, graceful stride speaking to the massive amounts of arrogance that she had inherited from the bully that spawned her.

He glared at her darkly throughout Dumbledore’s rambling, his eyes promising punishment merely for daring to exist. Potter was undeterred. She caught his eye and had the audacity to wink at him, eyes glittering like absinthe in the candlelight, promising a dark future for them all.   

He fumed as she turned her head and dismissed him from her attentions. He buried the grin that wanted to cross his face. He would teach the girl some manners. He was looking forward to her first potions class.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...in which there's a conflict

 Padma Patil quietly observed the girl who lived, whispering with Hermione, as all the first years were led by the prefect to their dormitory. She had grown up hearing tales of the girl who lived and her destruction of the dark lord ever since she was a child. To her, the girl who lived was almost a larger than life figure.

Meeting her in real life was…interesting.

For one, she didn't expect her to be so…girly. For some reason, she had this image in her head of a brash tomboy who would be pretty enough but ultimately she wouldn't care about her looks. Potter in real life didn't seem anything like that.

She was gorgeous but also clearly someone who put effort into their appearance to remain that way. Far from a tomboy, she had impeccable manners and many of the same unconsciously graceful movements as the wealthy purebloods. Most surprisingly, she revealed that she had been living in the muggle world.

The close friendship between her and the muggleborn Granger was also a point of interest. At first glance, the two girls didn't seem like that were much alike. Granger didn't have the same easy elegance and mysterious air that Potter had and was clearly intelligent if not a bit of a know it all. It was easy to pick her out for Ravenclaw. Potter didn't seem like an airhead but she also wouldn't have guessed that she would be sorted in the House of the Ravens from first glance. She would have guessed that practical matters and her outer appearance would be more suited for the girl then intellectual pursuits.

"Patil", a pleasant voice called from her right. She was startled out of her thoughts, quickly realizing that she had lost sight of the two girls that were now bracketing her on each side. She glanced at each of the girls, calmly greeting them in turn.

Meeting their eyes, there was a second where her instincts screamed at her. She felt like a trapped animal hunted by dangerous predators, but the moment passed and was forgotten about as Potter and Granger directed warm smiles at her.

"We saw you walking alone and decided to join you", Granger stated.

She waved her hand. "You didn't have to but I appreciate it none the less."

Potter turned curious green eyes on her (the color was even more eye catching up close) and quietly asked, "May I ask what you were pondering so deeply? Only if you don't mind sharing of course."

Well, she certainly couldn't tell them she had been analyzing Kali could she? Instead, she made up an excuse about wondering how the first day of classes would proceed.

"We're very much the same and both very excited" Hermione stated.

They made small talk as they walked towards their dormitory, Padma getting sleepier by the minute. She focused half of her attention on the conversation surrounding her and passively observed their surroundings.

"Oh dear, Hermione" came an amused voice beside her, "it appears as if we're boring Ms. Patil to sleep!"

That snapped Padma out of her daze, worried she was being rude. "Oh no, you aren't! I didn't mean to be so rude! I'm just tired and full of food. I'd like to go to sleep soon."

Potter gave her an amused little smile. "No worries. I was just teasing you. I'm very tired myself. I wonder how much longer we have to go? "

After climbing one more staircase, they came to a halt and Padma saw Hermione give a silent sigh of relief. The prefects turned around in front of a large wooden door with only a bronze knocker decorating its surface and introduced themselves.

Robert Hillard continued on: "Our dormitories are in turrets off the main tower; our four poster beds are covered in sky blue silk eiderdowns and the sound of the wind whistling around the windows is very relaxing. And once again: well done on becoming a member of the cleverest, quirkiest and most interesting house at Hogwarts."

The first years began applauding, eager to enter their new home.

Claire Edgewich, the female prefect, described how to access the tower. "To access the common room, you must answer a riddle given to you by the eagle knocker. If you are incorrect, you must wait until someone else gets the correct answer."

She demonstrated, lifting the knocker and rapping it against the door. From the knocker emerged a wise and commanding female voice with a clever riddle.

"I am used to bat with, yet I never get a hit. I am near a ball, yet it is never thrown. What am I?"

After a few moments, Edgewich answered, "Eyelashes".

"Correct. You may proceed". The door opened inward and displayed the common room. Hillard lead the group in.

The Ravenclaw common room was gorgeous. It was a wide, circular room with a midnight blue carpet, arched windows hung with blue and bronze silks, and a domed ceiling painted with stars. Comfortable tables and chairs filed the room and bookcases lined the walls. By the door, leading up to the dormitories, stood a tall statue of Rowena Ravenclaw made of what appeared to be white marble.

"We'll have a meeting tomorrow night with Professor Flitwick and go over all the rules there. I know you all must be very tired so I'll lead you to your rooms for now."

Girls were directed to one side and boys to another. At the top of the staircase, they found their beds at last. Obviously too tired to talk much, the girls all pulled on their pajamas and fell deeply asleep.

_*******Femme Fatale******* _

"There, look!"

"Where"

"Next to the girl with bushy hair"

"Did you see her face? So pretty."

"Did you see her scar?"

Kali walked on, paying no mind to the attention she was receiving, focusing on finding her classes with Hermione. Whispers had followed her the moment she has set foot from the common room. People lined up outside classrooms, standing on the tip of their toes to get a look at her, or doubled back in the corridors to stare again.

There were a hundred and forty-two staircases at Hogwarts: wide, sweeping ones; narrow, rickety ones; some that led somewhere different on a Friday; some with a vanishing step halfway up that you had to remember to jump. Then there were doors that wouldn't open unless you asked politely, or tickled them in exactly the right place, and doors that weren't really doors at all, but solid walls just pretending. It was also very hard to remember where anything was, because it all seemed to move around a lot, but it was also great fun discovering what everything could do. The people in the portraits kept going to visit each other, and Kali was sure the coats of armor could walk. She loved Hogwarts.

The ghosts were also quite interesting. She would have to corner one of them one day and ask the questions she was dying to know the answers to.

And then there was Argus Filch. He was incredibly annoying and quite disgusting. Filch owned a cat called Mrs. Norris, a scrawny, dust-colored creature with bulging, lamp like eyes just like Filch's. She patrolled the corridors alone. Break a rule in front of her, put just one toe out of line, and she'd whisk off for Filch, who'd appear, wheezing, two seconds later. Filch knew the secret passageways of the school better than anyone and could pop up as suddenly as any of the ghosts. The students all hated him, and it was the dearest ambition of many to give Mrs. Norris a good kick.

Proving to once again go against the norm, Kali actually liked Mors. Norris. In their few encounters, Mrs. Norris was almost docile and allowed Kali to pet her gently before she quickly got annoyed and shook her off. Other students in the area were amazed. Perhaps Mrs. Norris could feel the high regard Kali held for animals, higher than for some human beings.

Once you managed to find them, there were the classes themselves. They had to study the night skies through their telescopes every Wednesday at midnight and learn the names of different stars and the movements of the planets. Three times a week they went out to the greenhouses behind the castle to study Herbology, with a dumpy little witch called Professor Sprout, where they learned how to take care of all the strange plants and fungi, and found out what they were used for.

Astrology and Herbology were only mildly interesting to Kali but, after having class with Neville and the rest of the Hufflepuffs, it appeared that he really enjoyed the class so Kali made sure to pay close attention. She wanted to know more about this subject her little teddy bear loved so that he had someone to enjoy it with. It would tie him to her even more tightly.

Easily the most boring class was History of Magic, which was the only one taught by a ghost. Professor Binns had been very old indeed when he had fallen asleep in front of the staff room fire and got up next morning to teach, leaving his body behind him. Binns droned on and on while they scribbled down names and dates, and got Emetic the Evil and Uric the Oddball mixed up.

Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, was a tiny little wizard who had to stand on a pile of books to see over his desk. At the start of their first class he took the roll call, and when he reached Kali's name he gave an excited squeak and toppled out of sight. Kali thought Flitwick was extremely adorable and very intelligent. She really enjoyed his class.

Professor McGonagall was again different. Kali had been quite right to think she wasn't a teacher to cross. Strict and clever, she gave them a talking-to the moment they sat down in her first class.

"Transfiguration is some of the most complex and dangerous magic you will learn at Hogwarts," she said. "Anyone messing around in my class will leave and not come back. You have been warned."

Kali instantly began wondering how she could get around the rules. It was practically like McGonagall challenged her to do so.

Then she changed her desk into a pig and back again. They were all very impressed and couldn't wait to get started, but soon realized they weren't going to be changing the furniture into animals for a long time. After taking a lot of complicated notes, they were each given a match and started trying to turn it into a needle. By the end of the lesson, only Hermione and Kali had made any difference to their matches.

The class everyone had really been looking forward to was Defense Against the Dark Arts, but Quirrell's lessons turned out to be a bit of a joke. His classroom smelled strongly of garlic, which everyone said was to ward off a vampire he'd met in Romania and was afraid would be coming back to get him one of these days. His turban, he told them, had been given to him by an African prince as a thank-you for getting rid of a troublesome zombie, but they weren't sure they believed this story. For one thing, when Terry Boot asked eagerly to hear how Quirrell had fought off the zombie, Quirrell went pink and started talking about the weather.

Friday was an important day for Kali and Hermione. They finally managed to find their way down to the Great Hall for breakfast without Kali getting them lost in an attempt to explore even once.

"What have we got today?" Kali asked Hermione as she poured sugar on his porridge.

"Double Potions with the Slytherins," said Hermione. "Snape's Head of Slytherin House. They say he always favors them- we'll be able to see if it's true."

A slow, almost cruel smile spread across Kali's lips. "Lovely. This may be interesting."

Just then, the mail arrived. Kali had gotten used to this by now, but it had given her a bit of a shock on the first morning, when about a hundred owls had suddenly streamed into the Great Hall during breakfast, circling the tables until they saw their owners, and dropping letters and packages onto their laps.

Hedwig hadn't brought her anything so far. She sometimes flew in to nibble her ear and have a bit of toast before going off to sleep in the owlery with the other school owls.

This morning, however, she fluttered down between the marmalade and the sugar bowl and dropped a note onto Kali's plate. One trim eyebrow rose in interest. She tore it open at once. It said, in a very untidy scrawl:

**Dear Kali (and Hermione),**

**I know you get Friday afternoons off, so would you like to come and have a cup of tea with me around three? I knew your parents and Hermione said to send any mail directly to you. I want to hear all about you all's first week. Send us an answer back with Hedwig.**

**Hagrid**

Turning her gaze to Hermione who merely stared back with a smile and shrugged, she borrowed Hermione's quill, scribbled Yes, please, see you later on the back of the note, and sent Hedwig off again.

The potions lesson was completely awful.

At the start-of-term banquet, Kali had gotten the idea that Professor Snape disliked her and was amused by it. By the end of the first Potions lesson, she knew she'd been wrong. Snape didn't dislike Kali - he hated her.

Potions lessons took place down in one of the dungeons. It was colder here than up in the main castle, and would have been quite creepy enough without the pickled animals floating in glass jars all around the walls. Kali found the entire atmosphere remarkable. Snape was really dedicated to this very creepy aesthetic he wanted to give off.

Snape, like Flitwick, started the class by taking the roll call, and like Flitwick, he paused at Kali's name.

"Ah, Yes," he said softly, "Kali Potter. Our new - celebrity."

Draco Malfoy and his friends Crabbe and Goyle sniggered behind their hands. Kali merely glanced over her shoulder, and when she connected eyes with Malfoy, they stared for a long moment as the sniggering tapered off. With one last mocking wink, she turned back around.

Snape finished calling the names and looked up at the class. His eyes were black like Hagrid's, but they had none of Hagrid's warmth. They were cold and empty and made you think of dark tunnels.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potionmaking," he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but they caught every word - like Professor McGonagall, Snape had y caught every word - like Professor McGonagall, Snape had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death- if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."

More silence followed this little speech. Kali and Padma exchanged looks with raised eyebrows. Hermione was on the edge of her seat and looked desperate to start proving that she wasn't a dunderhead. Kali laid a gentle hand on her shoulder, only using the barest amount of pressure, and Hermione slowly sank back into her seat with an embarrassed blush on her cheeks. Sometimes she still got a bit overeager.

"Potter!" said Snape suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Well aware that this was not something learned in first year potions, Kali couldn't resist mocking him a little.

"A sleeping potion known as the Draught of Living Death if I'm not mistaken" She paused and then gave a sarcastic "… _sir"._

Snape's lips curled into a sneer.

"Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"

This was something they learned in first year, but not until almost the very end.

Hermione's hand had shot into the air beside her. Keeping a small smile on her face, knowing Snape would interpret it as arrogance, Kali answered, "A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons… _sir_."

"What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?"

That was enough. She knew the answers to all the questions because she found potions fascinating and read everything she could get her hands on but she tired of this power play. How dare he attempt this kind of intimidation tactic! Besides being a frankly insulting method to use on her, (did he really think this would force her to cower) it was disgustingly unprofessional. If a teacher was willing to behave this way on the very first day of class, what kind of learning environment would this be for everyone?

She tilted her head and ignored his last question, instead saying: "Professor, I've prepared for this class as adequately as I could have. I've read the first year potions book more than once. Your questions are not first year material. If I knew all the answers to your questions, I wouldn't need to be in a first year potions course, would I?"

A few people laughed; Snape, however, was not pleased.

"For your information, Potter, monkshood and wolfsbane are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite. Well? Why aren't you all copying that down?"

There was a sudden rummaging for quills and parchment. Over the noise, Snape said, "And a point will be taken from Ravenclaw House for your cheek, Potter."

Kali was almost ready to let it go but she had to let him know what she thought of such deplorable behavior. This was not acceptable behavior for someone that called themselves an educator.

"Professor, it is your job as an educator to teach us what we must know, not ridicule us for what we do not. Your job is to encourage a thirst for further knowledge. It is not to intimidate students into stunting their growth and self-confidence. I, we all, came here to learn. If you cannot do what your position requires of you, perhaps the headmaster should go about finding someone else who can."

Snape's expression was apoplectic. "DETENTION POTTER! For daring to threaten a professor. Tonight in the dungeons."

Kali's express curved into something faintly pleasant. Her acid green eyes, somehow greener than even Lily's, glinted at the threat of a challenge.

"That was _far_ from a **threat,** Professor. Honestly, I would never! But if you _insist_ on detention for a friendly piece of advice, I will of course accept." She watched Snape fume for a couple seconds before adding, "Now, if we're done with this subject, it would be lovely if this period could actually be spent learning some of the material."

"Detention again Potter. For daring to demand anything of a professor, one of your betters."

Kali refused to even deign to give him a response. Ignoring the thrum of anger that vibrated through her, she settled a bored and disinterested expression on her face that silently encouraged him to get on with it.

He wanted to talk about being her better? Well she would show him. He would experience some of the consequences that came with crossing her and she was going to enjoy every second of it.

_*******Femme Fatale******* _

Severus waited patiently for Potter to for her detention. How dare she disrespect his authority that way? He would enjoy slowly tormenting the girl until she learned who her superiors were.

The girl walked in, hair pin straight and streaming over her shoulders. She seemed to be amused for some reason and it infuriated him. He swept out of the shadows and approached the girl.

"For this detention, you will be pickling rat brain. Enjoy."

Sweeping past the girl and into his office with a smirk, a voice following behind him stopped him.

"Before we do that, there is a matter I'd like to discuss."

Turning around and sitting in his chair, he prepared to scold the dunderhead for failing to follow directions.

Once his eyes met her, however, he was frozen, failing to get even one word out of his mouth.

Her hair was red now. Not just any kind of red, the same fiery, vibrant red that Lily had been known for. With her hair this color, Potter looked incredibly similar to Lily at 11. For one silly moment, he actually thought it was her.

"I just want to ask why you hate me so much?

Snape couldn't speak and sat in silence as she waited for an answer.

"Can't speak? Let me guess then. It must something to do with my parents. I've noticed that despite the vilification of my father, you have never once said anything negative about my mother so I asked around. It was quite enlightening. So here's what I have to say to you:"

Snap was horrified yet mesmerized. The mini Lily clone (that he knew was Kali but she looked _so much_ like his beloved Lily) moved closer to him, nearly close enough for them to share breath, and gently stroked his cheek. Her eyes dark and glinting malevolently.

"There's a reason my mother chose James Potter in the end and left you alone and bitter. It's because you're pathetic. You could never compare to handsome and popular Potter and you knew that, you've _always_ known that."

She had a firm grip of his chin now. He jerked his head out of her grasp but didn't move away.

"I bet you felt sick when I was born. He got the girl and now he had the family you always wanted. How you must have rejoiced when you learned that he had died."

The girl leaned even closer, practically draping herself over him to whisper in his ear. He was frozen, fighting within himself as to what he should do. Part of him wanted to shove her away and part of him, the part that never quite stopped yearning for Lily, wanted to hold her close and pretend despite the hateful and yet hauntingly accurate things she whispered in his ear. She was all that was left of Lily and had somehow turned herself into a replica of the girl he loved so fiercely.

"That must be why you hate me so much. I am a combination of all the things you want most in the world and yet will never, _ever,_ have. Power, beauty, respect, _Lily,"_ she purred. "You have none of that and the want has turned you bitter. Bitter enough to bully schoolchildren to make yourself feel marginally better. Children hate you but then again, Severus Snape, is there anyone who hates you more than you hate yourself?"

"You should be lucky that Lily passed before she could see how utterly disgusting you are, how small and black your heart has become. I am living proof of all of your mistakes, all of your failures. I am living proof that James Potter was always the better choice."

At those words, he found the strength to push her back and hiss, "How dare you?"

The girl merely picked herself off the floor, weirdly solemn. "It's not too late to change your ways, Severus Snape. You could make Lily proud of you once again."

Snape raised his voice, "GET OUT, GET OUT OF MY SIGHT RIGHT NOW".

The girl watched him for a moment more before she began smirking again. Potter shook her head and the red leeched out into the nether, returning to the familiar curly black. She didn't bother talking to him again, merely watching him as she gathered her things. He knew he wasn't showing any emotions on his face and yet she seemed to know that her words had done exactly as she wished.

Giving him one last sweet smile, one that would have appeared genuine if he didn't know any better, she said, "Goodnight, professor. Sweet dreams."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a heads up, this will not be the end of things with Snape. This is just a wake up call. As an adult wizard, there's no way he'd be cowed this easily. He'll hit back hard and fast very soon

**Author's Note:**

> I was reading a FemHP/TMR fic when the idea hit me. Fics of this type always mention FemHP’s beauty and, me being highly enchanted with the idea of a femme fatale, thought about what would happen if FemHp used that beauty as a weapon. How would this change her interactions with other characters? This also means the end pairing will probably be FemHP/TMR (LV) but it could always change.


End file.
